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GRE vocabulary

pedant

nounHigh-frequency wordMore P words

a person who is overly concerned with minor details or rules

Word origin: From Italian pedante, a schoolmaster.

In a sentence

Pedant in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing pedant in a sentence.

Only a pedant would object to a comma in such an informal note.

The reviewer came across as a pedant, fixated on a misplaced comma while ignoring the argument.

Synonyms
nitpickerpuristdoctrinairequibbler
Antonyms

None listed.

Usage & nuance

Using “pedant” well

Pedant is a derogatory label for someone who flaunts trivial learning or fusses over rules at the expense of substance.

Common questions

Questions about “pedant

Pedant (noun) means a person who is overly concerned with minor details or rules
Here is pedant used in an example sentence: "Only a pedant would object to a comma in such an informal note." Another example: "The reviewer came across as a pedant, fixated on a misplaced comma while ignoring the argument."
Common synonyms for pedant include nitpicker, purist, doctrinaire, quibbler.
On the GRE, pedant clusters with nitpicker, purist, doctrinaire, and quibbler. Its adjective form pedantic is tested as well.
Yes. Pedant is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.