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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 bio in a Sentence
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2026
Where dating apps reduce a person to a few photos and a one-line bio, a hobby community shows you how someone actually shows up — whether that’s finishing a 10K, finishing a novel or finishing a knitting project.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
According to his bio on Curb Word Music Publishing, Jacobs relocated from Minneapolis to Nashville in 2000.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
Three other projects Allen detailed in his professional bio remained unfinished.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bio
Cite this Entry
“Bio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bio. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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