didactic
adjective: 1. intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry. 2. inclined to teach or lecture others too much: a boring, didactic speaker. 3. teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson. 4. "didactics," (used with a singular verb) the art or science of teaching. 5. intended to instruct, esp excessively. 6. morally instructive; improving. 7. (of works of art or literature) containing a political or moral message to which aesthetic considerations are subordinated. 8. Medicine. of or relating to medical teaching by lectures or textbooks as distinguished from clinical demonstration with patients. 9. designed or intended to teach. 10. intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment: didactic poetry. 11. making moral observations. Related Words:
academic, advisory, expository, homiletic, instructive, moral, moralizing, pedagogic, pedantic, preachy, edifying, enlightening, donnish, exhortative, hortative, preceptive, sermonic, teacherly. Synonyms: donnish, homiletic (or homiletical), moralistic, moralizing, pedagogic, pedantic, preachy, sententious, sermonic. Note: Didaktikos is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from didaskein, meaning "to teach." Something "didactic" does just that: teaches or instructs. "Didactic" conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. "Didactic" now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic. —Merriam-Webster. Origin: 1635–45; < Greek didaktikós apt at teaching, instructive, equivalent to didakt(ós) that may be taught + -ikos -ic. C17: from Greek didaktikos skilled in teaching, from didaskein to teach. First Known Use: 1658. History and Etymology: borrowed from New Latin didacticus, borrowed from Greek didaktikós "apt at teaching," from didaktós "taught, learned" (verbal adjective of didáskein, aorist edídaxa "to teach, instruct," factitive derivative of daênai "to learn") + -ikos -ic entry 1; daênai going back to Indo-European *dens-, *dn̥s- "become knowledgeable or skillful," whence also Avestan dīdaiŋ́hē "(I) learn, experience" and, in nominal derivatives, Sanskrit dáṃsaḥ "marvelous power," dasráḥ "accomplishing wonderful deeds," and perhaps Greek dḗnea "plans, intentions". Source 1, Source 2.
academic, advisory, expository, homiletic, instructive, moral, moralizing, pedagogic, pedantic, preachy, edifying, enlightening, donnish, exhortative, hortative, preceptive, sermonic, teacherly. Synonyms: donnish, homiletic (or homiletical), moralistic, moralizing, pedagogic, pedantic, preachy, sententious, sermonic. Note: Didaktikos is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from didaskein, meaning "to teach." Something "didactic" does just that: teaches or instructs. "Didactic" conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. "Didactic" now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic. —Merriam-Webster. Origin: 1635–45; < Greek didaktikós apt at teaching, instructive, equivalent to didakt(ós) that may be taught + -ikos -ic. C17: from Greek didaktikos skilled in teaching, from didaskein to teach. First Known Use: 1658. History and Etymology: borrowed from New Latin didacticus, borrowed from Greek didaktikós "apt at teaching," from didaktós "taught, learned" (verbal adjective of didáskein, aorist edídaxa "to teach, instruct," factitive derivative of daênai "to learn") + -ikos -ic entry 1; daênai going back to Indo-European *dens-, *dn̥s- "become knowledgeable or skillful," whence also Avestan dīdaiŋ́hē "(I) learn, experience" and, in nominal derivatives, Sanskrit dáṃsaḥ "marvelous power," dasráḥ "accomplishing wonderful deeds," and perhaps Greek dḗnea "plans, intentions". Source 1, Source 2.