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.
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.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2024
But some of the most popular personality assessments were produced by amateurs and autodidacts.
From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2018
Like a lot of autodidacts, Lockwood talks about reading and books and ideas in a more interesting way than one encounters in the classroom.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2017
On Friday, enterprising internet autodidacts were particularly interested in Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, who, as the chairman of the congressional committee planning the inaugural ceremony, spoke early.
From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2017
Jewish students, attending the rabbinical and teachers' institutes of the Government, or autodidacts from among former heder and yeshibah pupils, also began to "go to the people"—the Russian people, to be sure, not the Jewish.
From History of the Jews in Russia and Poland. Volume II From the death of Alexander I. until the death of Alexander III. (1825-1894) by Friedlaender, I.
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.
