didactic

USAGE SUMMARY

"didactic" is a correct and usable word in written English.
The word "didactic" is an adjective that means "intended to teach or instruct". Example sentence: The professor's didactic approach made the lecture more interesting for the students.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's not didactic - it's very simple in its purpose".

The Guardian - Film

There will always be those who argue that didactic art is bad art.

The Guardian

The cacophony of demands for actual ideas is just a chimera created by the paradigm of elitism to ensure the survival of the status quo to derail didactic cogitations about reality!

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Katharine: "A bit heavily didactic isn't it?

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The task of "discussion" is handed over to multiple PKK figures talking to the camera in a separately filmed set of interviews – either dry history lessons, or didactic attempts to "humanise" party members.

The Guardian - Film

But like every article or cookery book published in the Delia era, we did go through a didactic phase when the purpose of the food image was not to amuse but to tell you how the finished recipe should look.

The Guardian

The didactic Mr Shultz even took to bringing pie charts to the Kremlin, to illustrate his arguments.As is clear from Mr Shultz's career, the United States has an admirable habit of allowing the best minds in its universities to shape public policy.

The Economist

Ms Deshpande, who rolls her eyes at what she calls the typical NGO response of arranging workshops and didactic street plays, is instead conducting "sting operations" against the doctors who reveal to women the sexes of their unborn children during routine ultrasound scans.

The Economist

In a long and didactic address, he said bluntly that Bolivia's main problem was that the relationship between state and society had broken down.Indeed so.

The Economist

Putting all shareholder proxy proposals to the vote would be formidably expensive; and the code advocated by the Higgs report is too didactic, with too much emphasis on rules rather than principles.

The Economist

Though he seemed to be didactic, he was in fact asking questions: "How can we be useful?" "Why do we live?" He was, he once admitted, "in love with wonder...the wonder of how things and people got to be what they are".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "didactic" when you want to emphasize the instructive nature of something, especially concerning morals or a specific lesson. However, be mindful of the potential negative connotation of being overly preachy.

Common error

Avoid using "didactic" to describe purely artistic or entertaining works, as it implies an intent to instruct which may not be present. Using the word in these contexts can be seen as being overly critical.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "didactic" primarily functions to describe something that is intended to teach or instruct, often with a moral purpose. Ludwig examples show it modifying nouns like "poetry", "art", and "address", indicating the instructive quality of these entities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Science

32%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Wiki

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "didactic" is a commonly used term to describe something intended to teach or instruct, particularly with moral lessons. According to Ludwig, its usage spans across various contexts including News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business settings. While grammatically correct, one should be aware of its potential negative connotation of being overly preachy. Alternatives such as "instructive" or "educational" may be more suitable depending on the intended meaning. Understanding the nuances of "didactic" ensures precise and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

instructive

Focuses solely on the teaching aspect, omitting any negative connotations of being overly moralizing.

educational

Emphasizes the provision of knowledge and skills.

moralizing

Highlights the imparting of moral lessons, potentially with a preachy tone.

preachy

Conveys a tone of lecturing or giving unwanted advice.

pedagogical

Relates specifically to the art or science of teaching.

edifying

Stresses the moral or intellectual improvement.

illuminating

Suggests a clarifying or enlightening effect.

academic

Related to education and scholarship.

teaching

Simple, direct term for conveying information or skills.

lecture

Suggests a formal discourse given for instruction.

FAQs

How is "didactic" used in a sentence?

You can use "didactic" to describe something that is intended to teach a moral lesson, as in "The play had a clear didactic purpose".

What words are similar to "didactic"?

Similar words include "instructive", "educational", and "moralizing", depending on the context.

When might "didactic" be considered a negative term?

"Didactic" can be negative when it implies being overly preachy or forcing a lesson onto someone, rather than offering it subtly.

What's the difference between "didactic" and "pedagogical"?

"Didactic" refers to the intent to teach, often morally, while "pedagogical" refers to the method and practice of teaching.