educational

The word “educational” means relating to education or teaching. In plain terms, related to teaching, or generally informative.

“Educational” is pronounced ehd-zhuu-KAY-shuh-nuhl (/ˌɛd͡ʒəˈkeɪʃənəl/ in IPA).

Here is “educational” used in a sentence: “The museum offers educational programs for school groups.”

“Educational” is an adjective.

“Educational” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Educational” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to education or teaching.

Both describe something that teaches, but they differ in emphasis. 'Educational' relates broadly to education and the process of learning, and often to formal schooling. 'Instructive' focuses on giving useful information or a specific lesson. A museum trip is educational; a single clear demonstration is instructive. The overlap is large but not complete.

Generally, yes. Calling something educational suggests it has genuine learning value and benefits the person experiencing it, which is usually complimentary. Occasionally it is used lightly or ironically, as when a difficult experience is described as educational, but even then it implies something worthwhile was learned.

Anything designed to teach or inform can be educational: a documentary, a school textbook, a museum exhibit, a children's toy that builds counting skills, or a training video. The word describes both formal settings, like classrooms and universities, and everyday resources that help someone learn or understand something new.

'Educational' is broad and covers anything relating to teaching or learning, formal or informal. 'Academic' is narrower and refers specifically to scholarly study, schools, and universities, and can also imply theory over practice. A cartoon can be educational; scholarly research is academic. Academic sits within the wider field that educational describes.