autobiographical

adjective

au·​to·​bio·​graph·​i·​cal ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 

-bē-

variants or less commonly autobiographic

ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fik 

-bē-

1

a

: of, relating to, or being an autobiography

an autobiographical essay/book/novel

… the television studios began to buy the film and broadcast rights to biographical and autobiographical narratives as fast as they bought the rights to fictional ones.

—Nigel Hamilton

In recounting the exploits of some half-dozen Soviet spies, the author synthesizes much autobiographical and historical material.

—Harry Howe Ransom

This heart-wrenching, autobiographical account of Burch's childhood between ages 8 and 11 has the power of a Dickens novel.

—Booklist

b

: in the style of or based on an autobiography

Made for a pittance by the then-unknown [Martin] Scorsese, this autobiographical film about his Italian-Catholic boyhood was shot in Hollywood and on location in New York City's Little Italy.

—Robert F. Moss

2

a

: of, relating to, or influenced by one's life or past personal experiences

… so much of Wyeth's art is autobiographical, that is, stimulated and conditioned by deep personal responses to locations or people, …

—John Wilmerding

… ask her for too many autobiographical details and she begs off, insisting that her days are too ordinary for words.

—Jeff Giles

b

: of, relating, or being memory of personally experienced events in the past

Autobiographical memory, that is, memory for personally experienced past events, is central to human functioning, as it is of fundamental significance for the individual's sense of self and goal orientation.

—Elise Debeer et al.

autobiographically

ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

-bē-

adverb

The male coming-of-age story, by contrast, has been plundered relentlessly. D. H. Lawrence, Tobias Wolff, J. D. Salinger and Ernest Hemingway have written autobiographically.

—Courtney Weaver

She speaks here for the first time autobiographically, having dictated this memoir in the final months of her life.

—Francis Mason

Examples of autobiographical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It's been 41 years since her autobiographical Out on a Limb became a new-age bestseller, and MacLaine, 90, is once again an open book with The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime, which comes out Oct. 22. —Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024

The film is based on an autobiographical essay by Dai Igarashi. —Sara Merican, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024

Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist, and starring in her 2023 autobiographical off-Broadway show Red Ink. —Abby Monteil, Them, 24 Sep. 2024

Her eponymous brand has been worn by the likes of Ariana Grande, Tems and Maya Jama, bringing even more attention to her autobiographical designs, which are largely inspired by her British-Nigerian heritage and resilient immigrant community. —Ebony-Renee Baker, refinery29.com, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

autobiography + -ical, after biographical

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing autobiographical

• highly superior autobiographical memory
• semi-autobiographical