Didactic
adjective /daɪˈdæk.tɪk/ — Intended to teach or instructively moralistic
Definition
Intended to instruct or teach — often used critically to describe work that is excessively preoccupied with instruction at the expense of art or entertainment.
Beyond the definition
The tension between teaching and showing. Didactic writing tells you what to think. Great writing makes you think.
Origin & history
From Greek 'didaktikos' (apt at teaching) — from 'didaskein' (to teach). The quality of intending to instruct.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The novel had a didactic quality that some readers found comforting and others found condescending.
Good satire is never merely didactic — it shows more than it tells.
There is a difference between didactic and instructive: one lectures, the other demonstrates.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Didactic” when the meaning fits your context: Intended to instruct or teach — often used critically to describe work that is excessively preoccupied with instruction at the expense of art or entertainment.
Synonyms
instructive, moralising, preachy, educational, pedagogical
Antonyms
entertaining, implicit, showing
Related words
Didactic vs preachy
Didactic is often used to describe literature or art that intends to instruct or enlighten. Preachy is a negative critique of someone sounding overly moralizing or self-righteous.
Questions about this word
What does "Didactic" mean?
Didactic is adjective meaning: Intended to teach or instructively moralistic. Intended to instruct or teach — often used critically to describe work that is excessively preoccupied with instruction at the expense of art or entertainment.
Where does the word "Didactic" come from?
From Greek 'didaktikos' (apt at teaching) — from 'didaskein' (to teach). The quality of intending to instruct.