pedant

noun

A person who makes an excessive or tedious show of their knowledge, especially regarding rules of vocabulary and grammar.

A person who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning.

(archaic) A teacher or schoolmaster.

verb

(rare, humorous) To be or act as a pedant.

adjective

Pedantic.

Roots

paideueinped- · Greek · to teach, educate a child -ans-ant · Latin · agent, one who

Synonyms for pedant

precisian puristn perfectionistn

Synonyms & related words for pedant

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Words related to pedant

Explore words related to pedant — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include pedanticism, pedantic, pedantry, bookworm, nitpicker, pedantically, dryasdust, captiousness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for pedant

Common synonyms for pedant include precisian, purist, perfectionist — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does pedant come from?

The word pedant breaks down into 2 roots of Greek and Latin origin: ped, from Greek paideuein (“to teach, educate a child”); and -ant, from Latin -ans (“agent, one who”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.