autobiography

noun

au·​to·​bi·​og·​ra·​phy ˌȯ-tə-bī-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
-bē-
plural autobiographies
Synonyms of autobiographynext
: the biography of a person narrated by that person : a usually written account of a person's life in their own words
celebrity autobiographies
The fall and rise of Chrysler Corporation is an oft-told tale—three books on the subject have appeared already, including Lee Iacocca's bestselling autobiography.—Jerry Flint
Frederick Douglass's autobiographies are invaluable both for what they reveal about antebellum slavery and for what they reveal about a remarkable American.—Peter Kolchin
This last book … is part autobiography and part fiction, though it is listed as fiction.—Mims Cushing
Some 400 crowded both floors of the bookstore and lined up around the block as Iggy [Pop] signed the entire stock of 200 copies of his autobiography "I Need More."—Publishers Weekly
In recent years, the biggest-selling baseball books have been autobiographies of colorful personalities, written with the aid of collaborators.—Ray Walters
The letters are arranged chronologically and episodically to form an autobiography.—William S. McFeely

Examples of autobiography in a Sentence

I read her autobiography last year.
Recent Examples on the Web The National Book Critics Circle announced its 2023 awards in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry and criticism. —Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024 The autobiographies of Eileen Collins, Jennifer McCullom, and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo offer invaluable leadership lessons derived from the depth, challenges, obstacles and opportunities of their diverse experiences, achievements and industries. —Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 But for obvious reasons the twins rarely tailored the lyrics toward autobiography in the same way Carlile was able to. —Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 In presenting the worst aspects of his most vulnerable self, Reznor’s music edges towards autobiography that would later manifest as a whirlwind of punishing self-reflection. —Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 The event’s name is an homage to the title of Davis’ 2013 autobiography and a 2017 documentary film of the same name. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 Lewis echoed similar sentiments in his 2007 autobiography, Lewis Hamilton: My Story. —Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 In Pope Francis’s first autobiography, which publishes March 19, the first Latin American pontiff offers an up-to-the-minute take on his life and papacy. —Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 He was placed in an iron lung, a large metal cylinder that varies air pressure to stimulate breathing, according to his autobiography. —Mira Cheng, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autobiography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

auto- + biography, perhaps after German Autobiographie

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autobiography was in 1797

Phrases Containing autobiography

Dictionary Entries Near autobiography

autobiographist

autobiography

autoboat

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Autobiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autobiography. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

autobiography

noun
au·​to·​bi·​og·​ra·​phy ˌȯt-ə-bī-ˈäg-rə-fē How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
-bē-
: a biography written by the person it is about
autobiographer
-rə-fər How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
noun
autobiographical
-ˌbī-ə-ˈgraf-i-kəl How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
adjective
also autobiographic
-ˈgraf-ik How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
autobiographically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce autobiography (audio)
adverb
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