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biographical

American

[bahy-uh-graf-i-kuhl] / ˌbaɪ əˈgræf ɪ kəl /

Also biographic

adjective

of or relating to a person's life.

He's gathering biographical data for his book on Milton.
pertaining to or containing biography.

a biographical dictionary.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of biographical

First recorded in 1730–40; biograph(y) + -ical

Explanation

Anything biographical has to do with the story of someone's life. If you're reading a biography of Margaret Mead, you might enjoy learning biographical details, like that she was the oldest of five children. A biography is a book about someone's life. Anything biographical can be from a biography, as in an actual book about someone, or just facts from a person’s life. Biographical information could be where someone is from, where they grew up, where they went to college, or when they became famous. Biographies are usually written about famous people, but everyone has biographical details about their own lives, too.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing biographical

Words to Live By: Bio

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Literary Terms, Grade 6, Unit 1

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List 6

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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.

One might argue that her grief and denial just attached themselves to astrological beliefs because such beliefs happened to be there; it was no more than a biographical accident.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

Ms. Wheeler, herself a travel writer, knew and admired Morris, but she pins the biographical butterfly firmly in place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

"And actually, I'm not embarrassed. I've never really felt uncomfortable talking about a biographical detail."

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Another contender, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, overlaps with Villaraigosa when it comes to biographical details: Both are from the L.A. area, Latino and relatively close in age.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Henrietta Darwin Litchfield edited her mothers personal letters and published them in 1904 with many biographical notes.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023