pedantry

UK/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/US/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/

nounC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speech — pedant sits at #13,991leans written

Pedantry is excessive attention to rules and minor detail. Accused of pedantry.

The line between it and precision depends entirely on whether the detail matters. Pedantry about grammar is usually about class rather than about clarity.

Definitions of pedantry

1nounpedantryExcessive attention to rules and minor detail.C2
“The pedantry of the objection delayed the whole thing a month.”

pedantry is a fault.

Where it comes from

Italian pedanteria, from pedante, a schoolmaster; the word was contemptuous from the start.

Italian
pedanteria
English, today
pedantry

From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

← Vocabulary

pedantry

UK/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/US/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/

nounC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speech — pedant sits at #13,991leans written

Pedantry is excessive attention to rules and minor detail. Accused of pedantry.

The line between it and precision depends entirely on whether the detail matters. Pedantry about grammar is usually about class rather than about clarity.

Definitions of pedantry

1nounpedantryExcessive attention to rules and minor detail.C2
“The pedantry of the objection delayed the whole thing a month.”

pedantry is a fault.

Where it comes from

Italian pedanteria, from pedante, a schoolmaster; the word was contemptuous from the start.

Italian
pedanteria
English, today
pedantry

From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA