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autodidact

noun
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au·​to·​di·​dact | \ ˌȯ-tō-ˈdī-ˌdakt How to pronounce autodidact (audio) , -dī-ˈdakt How to pronounce autodidact (audio) , -də-ˈdakt \

Definition of autodidact

: a self-taught person was an autodidact who read voraciously
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Other Words from autodidact

autodidactic \ ˌȯ-​tō-​dī-​ˈdak-​tik How to pronounce autodidactic (audio) , -​də-​ \ adjective

Examples of autodidact in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web VALERY HACHEGetty Images Everyone's favorite autodidact on Criminal Minds, the lovable, bumbling Spencer Reid, hasn't had much luck in his romantic life. — Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire, "Who Is Max on 'Criminal Minds,' Played by Rachael Leigh Cook?," 24 Sep. 2019 Friends and colleagues described Dr. Tanton as a Renaissance man and a voracious autodidact. — Nicholas Kulish, New York Times, "Dr. John Tanton, Quiet Catalyst in Anti-Immigration Drive, Dies at 85," 18 July 2019 Friends and colleagues described Dr. Tanton as a Renaissance man and a voracious autodidact. — Nicholas Kulish, New York Times, "Dr. John Tanton, Quiet Catalyst in Anti-Immigration Drive, Dies at 85," 18 July 2019 Friends and colleagues described Dr. Tanton as a Renaissance man and a voracious autodidact. — Nicholas Kulish, New York Times, "Dr. John Tanton, Quiet Catalyst in Anti-Immigration Drive, Dies at 85," 18 July 2019 He is driven, inexhaustible, and an honest-to-goodness autodidact. — Devin Gordon, The Atlantic, "I Tried to Live Like Joe Rogan," 19 Aug. 2019 In fact, despite four degrees, Davenport usually considered himself an autodidact. — Michael Dirda, National Review, "The Exhilarating Letters of Guy Davenport and Hugh Kenner," 25 July 2019 Émigré scholars and nativist autodidacts met secretly in rural museums and published samizdat treatises filled with runic letters and outlandish ethnological hypotheses. — Jacob Mikanowski, Harper's magazine, "The Call of the Drums," 21 July 2019 Friends and colleagues described Dr. Tanton as a Renaissance man and a voracious autodidact. — Nicholas Kulish, BostonGlobe.com, "Dr. John Tanton, quiet catalyst in anti-immigration drive, dies at 85," 19 July 2019

These 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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First Known Use of autodidact

1784, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for autodidact

Greek autodidaktos self-taught, from aut- + didaktos taught, from didaskein to teach

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Time Traveler for autodidact

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The first known use of autodidact was in 1784

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Last Updated

24 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Autodidact.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autodidactic. Accessed 20 January 2020.

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