biography
noun
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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 biography in a Sentence
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
His 2010 Murdoch biography infuriated the mogul and prompted a shakeup among the people who had let Wolff in.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Nov. 2025
Speaking of Woodrow Wilson, there was something [about his biography] that made its way into The American President… Did Wilson have a girlfriend?
—Alexis Coe, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025
More than 20 of Beam’s former players went on to the NFL, including seven who played in the Super Bowl, according to his biography on the college’s website.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biography
Cite this Entry
“Biography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biography. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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biography
noun
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