autobiographical
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of or concerned with one's own life
-
of or relating to an autobiography
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of autobiographical
First recorded in 1820–30; auto- 1 + biographical
Explanation
Anything autobiographical is all about you. If you tell your new class an autobiographical story, it's a true tale of your real life. An autobiography is a person's life story, and things that have to do with that life story can be described as autobiographical. The autobiographical details in your grandmother's collection of photo albums might be your favorite parts, brief but fascinating glimpses into her life. And if you love autobiographical writing, you're a fan of memoirs. This word comes from auto-, "self," and the Greek biographia, "description of life."
Vocabulary lists containing autobiographical
Words with 15 or More Letters, List 2
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Additional Literary Terms (Unit 1)
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: 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.
“In some ways this is my most autobiographical film,” Johnson says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Another title - I am Fan Yusu - an autobiographical essay about a migrant worker's personal struggle, swept the Chinese internet in 2017.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
This would be hard for any artist, but it’s disastrous for someone whose work is generally interpreted as autobiographical.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Despite the song’s look back and the equally autobiographical ballad “L.E.S. Girl” later on, the record as a whole unfolds in the present moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
When I wrote my first autobiographical essay, it was no coincidence that, from the first page, I expected to publish what I wrote.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
