self-taught
Americanadjective
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having become as specified by teaching oneself, without the aid of formal education.
She’s a self-taught photographer who sells her work online.
-
learned by oneself.
Particularly impressive is his self-taught mastery of the guitar.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of self-taught
First recorded in 1715–25
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.
Reviewing the earlier iteration, our critic said the show paints “Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
The road to perfecting her self-taught craft was studded with trial, error and copious online video tips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Otero Alcantara, a self-taught performance artist, sculptor and painter, rose to prominence in 2020 as leader of the San Isidro protest movement of artists and intellectuals.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
McCartney's father Jim infused the house with music, bashing out self-taught tunes on an old piano.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Though he was entirely self-taught, never learned Latin, and had scant understanding of Linnaean classifications, he was a prize plant collector, with an uncanny knack for finding and recognizing unknown species.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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