autodidacticism

[aw-toh-dahy-dak-tuh-siz-uhm]

noun

1. the process or practice of learning a subject without a teacher or formal education; self-education.

   Abraham Lincoln is viewed as a model of autodidacticism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of autodidacticism¹

autodidactic + -ism

Example Sentences

Autodidacticism was a cornerstone of the association’s ethos, a way to expand on members’ formal training.

Read more on New York Times

Mr. Haring was, for example, impressively determined and resourceful, funding his art and his autodidacticism with a series of menial jobs.

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The spirit of the catalogue—its irreverence toward institutions, its emphasis on autodidacticism, and its sunny view of computers as tools for personal liberation––appeals to a younger generation of technologists.

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Unlike the millennial billionaires who condescend to non-technical pursuits, Allen attributed his entrepreneurial ambition and imagination to a wide-ranging autodidacticism and a natural passion for art and literature.

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At the moment, in this country, after the age of 24 you are effectively abandoned to autodidacticism – there is no such thing as free education for adults.

Read more on The Guardian