Didactic:
* Meaning: Intended to teach or instruct. It focuses on imparting knowledge and skills.
* Connotation: Neutral or positive. A didactic work can be helpful and informative.
* Examples: A textbook, a sermon, a documentary film.
Pedantic:
* Meaning: Overly concerned with minute details or formal rules. It emphasizes showing off knowledge and can be condescending.
* Connotation: Negative. Pedantic writing or speech can be annoying and off-putting.
* Examples: A teacher who constantly corrects minor grammar errors, a person who uses overly complex language to show off their vocabulary, a critic who focuses on minute flaws in a work of art.
Here's a simple way to think about the difference:
* Didactic = Teaching
* Pedantic = Show-offy teaching
In summary:
* Didactic aims to educate, while pedantic aims to impress.
* Didactic can be useful and informative, while pedantic can be annoying and condescending.