as in bookishness
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pedantry
But our understanding of pedantry, denoting the sticklerishness of academic specialists and grammar obsessives, is a relatively narrow one.
—
Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
What some mathematicians see as a move toward greater certainty, others might see as pedantry or a barrier to progress.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The documentary never resorts to pedantry in communicating its feelings about the community, but instead operates from an assumption of equality.
—Vikram Murthi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
This is not a matter of politics, punditry, or pedantry.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
There are some downsides besides pedantry about historical accuracy, too.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
Save this pedantry for LeBrun’s mailbag.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Her disbelief at bureacratic pedantry reaches a fever pitch as her desperation increases, resulting in a scene reminiscent of Judy Hopps and Flash the Sloth at the DMV in Zootopia.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
The inflated pedantry of his style, all those technical-sounding terms and incantatory clauses in the service of a simple idea, seems practically comic, but Kushner presents it earnestly, without a hint of irony.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
What some mathematicians see as a move toward greater certainty, others might see as pedantry or a barrier to progress.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The documentary never resorts to pedantry in communicating its feelings about the community, but instead operates from an assumption of equality.
—Vikram Murthi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
This is not a matter of politics, punditry, or pedantry.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
There are some downsides besides pedantry about historical accuracy, too.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
Save this pedantry for LeBrun’s mailbag.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Her disbelief at bureacratic pedantry reaches a fever pitch as her desperation increases, resulting in a scene reminiscent of Judy Hopps and Flash the Sloth at the DMV in Zootopia.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
The inflated pedantry of his style, all those technical-sounding terms and incantatory clauses in the service of a simple idea, seems practically comic, but Kushner presents it earnestly, without a hint of irony.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantry
reading
Noun
-
In fact, nearly 9 in 10 parents in Chicago and nationally believe their child is at or above grade level, even though closer to only 3 in 10 Chicago students are on grade level in reading and only 2 in 10 in math.—
Arne Duncan,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The annual figure is above February’s reading of 3%.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pedantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantry. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
