pedantic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Arguments to the contrary are overly cautious and pedantic.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

By taking on Brontë’s book, Fennell was doomed to stare down millions of overly pedantic literature sticklers, people who prefer their adaptations pure and untainted.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

The critic James Wood decried Mr. Barnes as “a thoroughly English writer,” meaning that he is clever and pedantic and emotionally repressed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

And the percentage of gold in the portfolio is always fixed at 1/7 — or, if you are pedantic, 14.29%.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

Too many connectives can make it seem as if an author is belaboring the obvious or patronizing the reader, and it can give prose a pedantic feel.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker