biography
noun
Did you know?
So You've Been Asked to Submit a Biography
In a library, the word biography refers both to a kind of book and to a section where books of that kind are found. Each biography tells the story of a real person's life. A biography may be about someone who lived long ago, recently, or even someone who is still living, though in the last case it must necessarily be incomplete. The term autobiography refers to a biography written by the person it's about. Autobiographies are of course also necessarily incomplete.
Sometimes biographies are significantly shorter than a book—something anyone who's been asked to submit a biography for, say, a conference or a community newsletter will be glad to know. Often the word in these contexts is shortened to bio, a term that can be both a synonym of biography and a term for what is actually a biographical sketch: a brief description of a person's life. These kinds of biographies—bios—vary, but many times they are only a few sentences long. Looking at bios that have been used in the same context can be a useful guide in determining what to put in your own.
Examples of biography in a Sentence
Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
According to his official biography, he was tortured in detention at the hands of the SAVAK, the notorious secret police.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
The book distills Prince's legacy into a roughly 1,300-word biography aimed at young readers.
—CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
According to Sedaka’s biography, their partnership would go on to sell 40 million records in just the four years between 1959 and 1964.
—Anna Chan, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biography
Cite this Entry
“Biography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biography. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
biography
noun
