teachable moment

American

[tee-chuh-buhl moh-muhnt] / ˈti tʃə bəl ˈmoʊ mənt /

noun

a specific occurrence, situation, or experience that can be used to teach people about something more general.

Her death created a teachable moment about prescription drug abuse.

Etymology

Origin of teachable moment

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, this is a teachable moment — a warning for both of you to keep on top of your credit-card statements.

From MarketWatch

That line stayed with me when I spoke to Gregory Rogers, a criminal-justice lecturer and former FBI agent who’s been trying to turn the assassination into a teachable moment.

From Slate

This should be a teachable moment.

From MarketWatch

This should be a teachable moment, the adulting equivalent of an afterschool special.

From MarketWatch

“It sends a signal to victims that despite the MeToo movement, we’re still not there in believing victims and understanding the context of exploitation. But I’m hoping it’s a teachable moment to connect the dots with what trafficking is and understanding the complexity of coercion.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023