autobiographical

adjective

au·​to·​bio·​graph·​i·​cal ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce autobiographical (audio)
-bē-
variants or less commonly autobiographic
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 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 The center’s plans include an autobiographical play written by and starring the actor Laurence Fishburne; the New York premiere of an opera by the composer Huang Ruo and the playwright David Henry Hwang; and the Tribeca Festival, whose founder, Robert De Niro, was among the gala’s attendees. Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 While not strictly autobiographical, the film reflects aspects of the playwright’s own story. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 To be considered, applications must include: a resume an autobiographical essay of no more than 500 words three to five work samples up to three references who can attest to your work ethic and skills. oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023 Based on the 1994 autobiographical book Long Walk to Freedom by anti-apartheid revolutionary and former South African President Nelson Mandela, Elba portrayed the titular character. Okla Jones, Essence, 6 Sep. 2023 Peter Gonzales Falcon, the actor from Texas who portrayed a young Federico Fellini in Roma, the famed Italian director’s 1972 autobiographical film, has died. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023 The music, recorded when O’Connor was pregnant with her first child, was often grating, and the lyrics were frequently if opaquely autobiographical. Daphne Merkin, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2023 When Morris senses that Cornwell is sticking a hair too much to his autobiographical script, the director nudges, but without an evident agenda. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023 Another series of experiments has shown that people more easily and accurately call up autobiographical memories when their body postures and hand positions align with those in the memory. Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autobiographical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

autobiography + -ical, after biographical

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of autobiographical was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near autobiographical

Cite this Entry

“Autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autobiographical. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

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