self-taught
adjective
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
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
Born in 1970 in Herber City, Utah, Allen is largely self-taught, having begun his artistic career by whittling figures and selling them from atop an ironing board on the streets of SoHo in New York.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 24 Nov. 2025
Despite becoming one of the most popular guitarists in the world, Frehley was famously self-taught and never had any formal instruction.
—Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Born Paul Daniel Frehley to a musical family, he was self-taught — and went on to inspire millions with his guitar prowess.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
People saw my growth [and related to being] self-taught and wanting to be an idol.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-taught
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
News Desk, Artforum, 24 Nov. 2025
Despite becoming one of the most popular guitarists in the world, Frehley was famously self-taught and never had any formal instruction.
—Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Born Paul Daniel Frehley to a musical family, he was self-taught — and went on to inspire millions with his guitar prowess.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
People saw my growth [and related to being] self-taught and wanting to be an idol.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-taught
Cite this Entry
“Self-taught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-taught. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share