Skip to main content

autobiographyan account of a person's life written by that person himself or herself

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: an account of a person's life written by that person himself or herself

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɑːɡrəfi/

Example Sentences

  • His autobiography reads like a comedy show - apparently he once got stuck in a washing machine while trying to impress his crush.
  • The celebrity's autobiography revealed shocking secrets about her rise to fame.
  • Writing my autobiography made me realize I've lived three lives: before coffee, after coffee, and during coffee breaks.

autobiography

NOUN

[/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɑːɡrəfi/]

an account of a person's life written by that person himself or herself

The retired sailor wrote his autobiography, recalling decades of storms and distant harbors.
💡 Concept

The retired sailor wrote his autobiography, recalling decades of storms and distant harbors.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɑːɡrəfi/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi/

🌳Etymology

Prefixauto--
Rootbio
Suffix--graphy

Origin

Autobiography is a modern English word, first coined in the late 18th century, combining Greek elements to mean 'a written account of one's own life.' The term reflects the growing literary convention of personal narrative during the Enlightenment period.

Breakdown

auto- (self, from Greek autos) + bio- (life, from Greek bios) + -graphy (writing or description, from Greek graphia, meaning 'to write').

🎵Rhyme

photographygeographybiography
photography
geography
biography

🔗Collocations

write an autobiography
publish an autobiography
bestselling autobiography
spiritual autobiography
autobiography reveals
candid autobiography

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

His autobiography reads like a comedy show - apparently he once got stuck in a washing machine while trying to impress his crush.

The celebrity's autobiography revealed shocking secrets about her rise to fame.

😄 Fun example

Writing my autobiography made me realize I've lived three lives: before coffee, after coffee, and during coffee breaks.

Many politicians write their autobiographies after retiring from office.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

memoirlife storypersonal narrativeself-account

Antonyms

biographyfictional story

Related

biographerautobiographicalmemoirsdiaryjournal

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.