Pedant

Pronunciation

• enPR: pÄ•dʹənt, IPA: /ˈpÉ›dÉ™nt/

Origin

From Middle French pedant, pedante, from Italian pedante ("a teacher, schoolmaster, pedant"), of uncertain origin, traced by some sources

to Latin paedagogans, present participle of paedagogare ( = to teach, from Greek "paedagogein" = to instruct children ). Confer French pédant.

Full definition of pedant

Noun

1. (archaic) A teacher or schoolmaster.
• 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, vol. 1 ch. 24:I have in my youth oftentimes beene vexed to see a Pedant pedante brought in, in most of Italian comedies, for a vice or sport-maker, and the nicke-name of Magister to be of no better signification amongst us.
2. A person who emphasizes his/her knowledge through the use of vocabulary.
3. (slang) A person who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning.

Derived terms

• pedantic
• pedantry

Usage notes

Do not confuse pedant with pendant or pennant.

Anagrams

• panted
• pentad