noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/
South-Africa:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P EH1 D AH0 N T R IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An excessive attention to detail or rules.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An excessive attention to detail or rules.
An instance of such behaviour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
I don’t want to listen to your pedantries anymore.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An overly ambitious display of learning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ostentation, fanfare, flash
History
Etymology
From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
педантизъм
(pedantizǎm)
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Catalan:
pedanteria
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Danish:
pedanteri
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Dutch:
betweterigheid
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Dutch:
frikkerigheid
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Finnish:
pikkutarkkuus
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Finnish:
pedanttisuus
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Finnish:
saivartelu
— excessive attention to detail or rules
French:
pédantisme
— excessive attention to detail or rules
German:
Pedanterie
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Greek:
σχολαστικότητα
(scholastikótita)
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Hungarian:
pedantéria
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Icelandic:
smámunasemi
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Icelandic:
smásmygli
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Italian:
pedantismo
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Polish:
pedanteria
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Portuguese:
pedantismo
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Russian:
педанти́чность
(pedantíčnostʹ)
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Russian:
педанти́зм
(pedantízm)
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Swedish:
pedanteri
— excessive attention to detail or rules
Catalan:
pedanteria
— instance of being pedantic
Finnish:
viisastelu
— instance of being pedantic
Finnish:
saivartelu
— instance of being pedantic
French:
pédanterie
— instance of being pedantic
Icelandic:
smámunasemi
— instance of being pedantic
Icelandic:
smásmygli
— instance of being pedantic
Portuguese:
pedantice
— instance of being pedantic
Spanish:
pedantería
— instance of being pedantic
Dutch:
pedanterie
— overly ambitious display of learning
Finnish:
viisastelu
— overly ambitious display of learning
Finnish:
rikkiviisaus
— overly ambitious display of learning
French:
pédanterie
— overly ambitious display of learning
German:
Pedanterie
— overly ambitious display of learning
Greek:
δοκησισοφία
(dokisisofía)
— overly ambitious display of learning
