Autobiography
/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi/
Definitions
An account of a person's life written by that person.
/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi/
A self-written account of one's life.
She wrote a captivating autobiography about her childhood in rural India.
💡 Simply: A book about someone's life, written by that person.
More Examples
His autobiography reveals a surprising amount of vulnerability.
How It's Used
"Many famous writers have penned compelling autobiographies."
"The autobiography provides valuable insights into the political climate of the time."
From Greek autos ('self') + bios ('life') + graphein ('to write'). It emerged in the late 18th century as a way to describe a self-written life story.
While the word itself is relatively modern, the concept of self-written life accounts has existed for centuries, often appearing in diaries and letters.
Memory tip
Auto (self) + bio (life) + graphy (writing)
Word Origin
"auto (self) + bios (life) + graphein (to write)"