autodidact
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of autodidact
First recorded in 1525–35; from Greek autodídaktos “self-taught”; see origin at auto- 1, didactic
Explanation
An autodidact is someone who has learned things on their own, outside of school. If you've learned Greek and Latin, as well as landscape painting and auto repair, without any formal training, you are quite the autodidact. Auto- means "self," and didact comes from the Greek word for "teach," so an autodidact is a person who's self-taught. Being the autodidact that you are, instead of calling the plumber when your pipes burst, you bought some manuals and began to learn how to fix it yourself. You might want to learn scuba diving next, now that your apartment is flooded.
Vocabulary lists containing autodidact
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: auto-
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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.
A recent Prospect article marking what would have been her 100th birthday, which was June 1, describes Monroe as “an autodidact who made it.”
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
He was mid-century America’s foremost tough-hooligan intellectual, a high school dropout and autodidact who wrote and published four books while waiting to die.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2024
Wonder is also an autodidact, and Joe is sure “Harvard is playing matchmaker.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2023
Every book lover is an autodidact at times; it goes with the territory.
From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2023
Vincent has always been an autodidact, and within a few weeks, he finds a way to teach himself.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
