Meaning & use

didactic

adjective·Advanced

Intended to teach or instruct, often in a way that feels moralizing or overly instructive.

See it in a sentence

Critics found the film's didactic ending too heavy-handed in delivering its message.

The fable's didactic purpose was to teach children the value of honesty.

A note on using this word

Didactic can be neutral, describing something meant to teach, but is often used critically to suggest a work is preachy rather than engaging.

Words with a similar meaning

instructivemoralizing

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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