self-taught

American  

[self-tawt] / ˈsɛlfˈtɔt /

adjective

1. having become as specified by teaching oneself, without the aid of formal education.

   She’s a self-taught photographer who sells her work online.

2. learned by oneself.

   Particularly impressive is his self-taught mastery of the guitar.

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self-taught British  

adjective

1. having learnt oneself without any external or formal instruction

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Etymology

Origin of self-taught

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

Theodor Thomas was, as well, a painter with a visionary sensibility and a pianist, self-taught other than a handful of lessons from Gershwin.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

The Gitters created a foundation to promote the study of Japanese art and American self-taught art and set up the Gitter-Yelen Art Study Center in a building next to their New Orleans home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Gitter was best known for collecting Japanese Zenga ink paintings and American self-taught art, which he sought out with his second wife, Alice Yelen Gitter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The self-taught Mr. Wash ran workshops while incarcerated, helping develop artists who might one day be among the center’s first residents.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

When Mrs. Kuen spotted our small piano and asked who played, Ma told her that I was self-taught.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu