autodidact

[aw-toh-dahy-dakt, -dahy-dakt]

noun

1. a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education; a self-taught person.

autodidact

/ ˈɔːtəʊˌdaɪdækt /

noun

1. a person who is self-taught

Other Word Forms

• autodidactic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of autodidact¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Greek autodídaktos “self-taught”; auto- ¹, didactic

Word History and Origins

Origin of autodidact¹

C16: from Greek autodidaktos self-taught, from autos self + didaskein to teach

Example Sentences

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Precocious as a child and an autodidact, the U.S.-born música Mexicana star taught himself to play guitar at age 8 by watching YouTube tutorials.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Often from humble backgrounds, or autodidacts, or both, the sliver of young humanity who take part in our quiz will instantly fill you with hope for the future.

Read more on BBC

The autodidact Jude is not above a dirty joke.

Read more on New York Times

An autodidact who left college after a year, he nonetheless became a full professor of computer science at M.I.T. at 34.

Read more on New York Times