What does autobiography mean?
An autobiography is a written account of a person's life composed by that person. It typically narrates events chronologically or thematically, offering the writer's own perspective on their experiences, relationships, and development. The word carries a formal register and appears most often in publishing, literary criticism, and academic discussion, though its subject matter can be anything from political careers to personal struggles. Because the author and the subject are the same individual, autobiographies raise distinctive questions about memory, honesty, and self-presentation — readers know they are seeing a life through its owner's eyes. The term is closely related to but distinct from 'biography,' which is written by someone else, and 'memoir,' which usually focuses on a particular period or theme rather than a complete life. Derived forms include 'autobiographical' (adjective), 'autobiographer' (the writer), and 'autobiographically' (adverb).
nounAn autobiography is an account of a person's life written by that person themselves.
- An account of a person's life written by that person.
"Her autobiography traces her rise from a small-town childhood to international fame."
"She spent three years writing her autobiography, drawing on diaries she had kept since adolescence."
"The retired diplomat's autobiography offers a candid account of the negotiations that shaped his career."
Regular plural formation; stress remains on the same syllable as in the singular.
"The archive holds hundreds of autobiographies written by ordinary soldiers during the war."
The word 'autobiography' is surprisingly young: it only entered English in the late eighteenth century, long after people had been writing their own life stories for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autobiography
The word 'autobiography' was formed in English from Greek roots: 'autos' meaning self, 'bios' meaning life, and 'graphein' meaning to write. It entered the language in the late eighteenth century, when writers needed a precise term for self-written lives that earlier phrases like 'self-biography' had awkwardly served. Its components also underpin cognates such as 'biography,' 'autograph,' and 'automatic.'
Related word forms
How autobiography is actually used
Autobiography is a formal, neutral term used in literary, academic, and publishing contexts. It refers to the work itself rather than the act of writing it; 'autobiographical' describes material drawn from one's own life. In everyday speech people often say 'life story' or 'memoir' instead.
Easily confused with autobiography
A biography is written about someone's life by another person, whereas an autobiography is written by the subject themselves.
A memoir typically covers a specific period, theme, or episode of a life, while an autobiography usually aims to recount the whole life story.