SINCE 1828
autodidact
noun
au·to·di·dact
| \ ˌȯ-tō-ˈdī-ˌdakt
, -dī-ˈ, -də-ˈ
\
, -dī-ˈ, -də-ˈ
\
Definition of autodidact
: a self-taught person
was an autodidact who read voraciously
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Other Words from autodidact
autodidactic
\ -dī-ˈdak-tik
, -də- \
adjective
, -də- \
adjective
Examples of autodidact in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Caldas, an autodidact, who early in his career built architectural models for Oscar Niemeyer, found success designing affordable furniture for the emerging Brazilian middle class. — Max Maeckler, Vogue, "The Most Mesmerizing Design Moments of Salone del Mobile," 18 Apr. 2019 Today the Norwegian autodidact who reconfigured Western theater in the mid- and late 19th century appears at once larger than life and blurredly remote. — Brad Leithauser, WSJ, "‘Henrik Ibsen: The Man and the Mask’ Review: Riddles of the Sphinx," 17 May 2019 An autodidact like so many of the men who built the British Empire, Cautley arrived in India in 1819 as a humble artilleryman. — Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, "‘Unruly Waters’ and ‘Ganges’ Review: In India, Water Is Politics," 4 Jan. 2019 Alejandro is a hyper-capable autodidact, a former anthropologist who enthusiastically spirals into obscure hobbies, like carving Elizabethan lutes or making portable pasteurizers for his wife to use on the family farm. — John Williams, New York Times, "Can Handiwork Save Your Soul? A Quiet Novel Suggests It Can," 10 July 2018 Among the finalists, who range in age from 23 to 77, and span autodidact, emerging, and established, Lee happens to be particularly accomplished; her work can be found in more than 40 public collections around the world. — Amy Verner, Vogue, "Dame Helen Mirren Presents Scottish Ceramist Jennifer Lee With the Second Annual Loewe Craft Prize," 4 May 2018 The second is Grace Hopper, an autodidact, teacher, and Navy rear admiral, among many other things. — Anna Wiener, The New Republic, "The Internet Women Made," 1 May 2018 Graham Hancock is an audacious autodidact who believes that long before ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Egypt there existed an even more glorious civilization. — Michael Shermer, Scientific American, "No, There Wasn't an Advanced Civilization 12,000 Years Ago," 1 June 2017 Hoffer was a longshoreman and an autodidact who wrote slender books hefty with wisdom. — George Will, National Review, "Survival of the Shrillest," 20 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autodidact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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