pedantisms
Excessive correctness displays
Pedantisms are expressions or usages that display excessive concern with minor details or formal rules—the kind of fussy corrections a pedant makes.
Insisting on It is I rather than It's me, or refusing to split infinitives, qualifies as pedantism.
The word usually carries disapproval, suggesting the correction prioritizes technical accuracy over natural expression.
Excessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- cavilingPetty fault-finding
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
- fault-findingExcessive focus on errors
pettifogging · captious · hypercritical · picky · finicky · overparticular · nit-picker · fussbudget
Strict attention to detail
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
- fastidiousnessExcessive concern for precision
- meticulousnessExtreme carefulness in details
- scrupulosityExcessive moral anxiety disorder
formalism · rigidity · dogmatism · didacticism · purism · literalism · stodginess · priggishness
Quality of being unbending
- rigidityState of being unbending
- dogmatismUnyielding adherence to doctrine
- absolutismUnrestricted governmental authority
- intransigenceRefusal to compromise
unyielding · unforgiving · authoritarianism · orthodoxy · prescriptivism · rule-bound · zero-tolerance · black-and-white
Correctness in every detail
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- correctnessState of being accurate
- specificityExactness of detail
- rigorStrict, thorough precision
exactitude · thoroughness · nicety · punctiliousness · scrupulousness · carefulness · hairsplitting · technicality
Marginal citations below text
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
- bibliographyList of cited works
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
nomenclature · etymologies · definitions · glosses · errata · marginalia · cross-references · ibid
hair-splitting
Excessive focus on trivialities
fault-finding · pettifogging · captious · hypercritical · picky · finicky · overparticular · nit-picker · fussbudget · pernickety
punctiliousness
Strict attention to detail
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
- fastidiousnessExcessive concern for precision
- meticulousnessExtreme carefulness in details
scrupulosity · formalism · rigidity · dogmatism · didacticism · purism · literalism · stodginess · priggishness · stuffiness
inflexibility
Quality of being unbending
- rigidityState of being unbending
- dogmatismUnyielding adherence to doctrine
- absolutismUnrestricted governmental authority
intransigence · unyielding · unforgiving · authoritarianism · orthodoxy · prescriptivism · rule-bound · zero-tolerance · black-and-white · strictness
exactness
Correctness in every detail
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- correctnessState of being accurate
- specificityExactness of detail
rigor · exactitude · thoroughness · nicety · punctiliousness · scrupulousness · carefulness · hairsplitting · technicality · literalness
footnotes
Marginal citations below text
- citationsAcknowledged source mentions
- bibliographyList of cited works
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
jargon · nomenclature · etymologies · definitions · glosses · errata · marginalia · cross-references · ibid · sic
pedantismscolloquialisms
Informal everyday expressions
slang · vernacular · casual speech · informal language · informal speech
pedantismsstraight talk
Honest, direct communication
simplifications · layman's terms · accessible language · dumbing down · broad strokes
pedantismssolecisms
Errors in speech or manners
barbarisms · grammatical errors · malapropisms · neologisms · rule-breaking