biographical

American

[bahy-uh-graf-i-kuhl] / ˌbaɪ əˈgræf ɪ kəl /

Also biographic

adjective

of or relating to a person's life.

He's gathering biographical data for his book on Milton.
pertaining to or containing biography.

a biographical dictionary.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of biographical

First recorded in 1730–40; biograph(y) + -ical

Explanation

Anything biographical has to do with the story of someone's life. If you're reading a biography of Margaret Mead, you might enjoy learning biographical details, like that she was the oldest of five children. A biography is a book about someone's life. Anything biographical can be from a biography, as in an actual book about someone, or just facts from a person’s life. Biographical information could be where someone is from, where they grew up, where they went to college, or when they became famous. Biographies are usually written about famous people, but everyone has biographical details about their own lives, too.

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Vocabulary lists containing biographical

Words to Live By: Bio

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Literary Terms, Grade 6, Unit 1

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List 6

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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.

Biographical and essayistic, “A Photographic Memory” suggests both a woman interested in locating her remarkable mother, gone too soon, and an artist exploring her own place.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025

Biographical material in this story was written by former AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

Biographical documentaries are still hugely popular; next to true crime, they’re what’s hot in nonfiction right now, as our recently reviewed releases “June” and “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” indicate.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Biographical dictionaries contain information about people who have made some mark on history in many different fields.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

A Biographical Lesson.—Let everything cluster around some great leader in missions or the temperance reform.

From Sunday-School Success A Book of Practical Methods for Sunday-School Teachers and Officers by Wells, Amos R.

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