ENGLISH
REFERENCE

educational

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˌɛdʒəˈkeɪʃənəɫ// UK //ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃənəl// ed·u·ca·tion·al General-service

adj. providing useful knowledge or helping you learn something new. You use this to describe books, movies, or experiences that teach you things.

adj. providing or relating to the provision of instruction or information that facilitates learning. Often used to describe the value or purpose of an activity or resource.


SIMPLE

The museum trip was very educational for the children.

CONTEXTUAL

The documentary provides an educational look at how climate change affects local farming communities.

COMPLEX

While primarily intended as entertainment, the historical drama serves an educational purpose by introducing viewers to the complex political landscape of the fourteenth century.

Origin

From education + -al.

Usage

Typically functions as an attributive adjective before a noun, but can also follow linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.

Pitfall

The teacher gave us many educationals.The teacher gave us many educational activities.Educational is an adjective, not a noun; it must modify a noun like 'activities', 'materials', or 'games'.

© 2026 English Reference