self-taught

adjective

ˈself-ˈtȯt 

1

: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction

a self-taught musician

2

: learned by oneself

self-taught knowledge

Synonyms of self-taught

• autodidactic
• amateur
• self-educated

Examples of self-taught in a Sentence

the cellist's success is all the more remarkable because she is self-taught

Recent Examples on the Web

Primarily self-taught, Drexler often worked at an intimate scale, mostly for practical reasons. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Warshawsky and his cofounders, James Ross-Harris and Richard Warner, may be self-taught, but the workshop's location has a long legacy of metalwork, having been the site of two bronze foundries during the 19th and 20th centuries. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

However, a majority, 84%, of people say they're self-taught with no formal training in AI, and 55% say their workplace doesn't have an official AI policy, per the survey of 1,686 workers. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Smith started in finance and was self-taught in the business of fashion, building brands from the ground up, learning every part of the process–design, product development, manufacturing, marketing–by doing. — Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for self-taught

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

self-taught

adjective

ˈself-ˈtȯt

1

: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction

a self-taught musician

2

: learned by oneself

self-taught knowledge