semi-autobiographical
adjective
semi-au·to·bio·graph·i·cal
ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
variants
or less commonly semiautobiographical
: partly autobiography and partly fiction : being a fictionalized account of the author's life
a semi-autobiographical novel/film
… James Herriott's semiautobiographical story of his return from WWII to family and friends.—
TV Guide
TV GuideThe play is a convincing picture of a brief but powerful relationship, based on Owen's copious letters and the semi-autobiographical account of Sassoon's George Sherston.—Simon Berry
Simon BerryPedro Almodóvar's most recent drama is one of his most personal: a semi-autobiographical study of an aging, isolated filmmaker who reconnects with an estranged colleague … and starts reassessing his own life.—Norman Wilner
Norman WilnerIn this semiautobiographical take on her own life, [Pamela] Adlon plays "Sam," a working actress and single parent in Los Angeles.—Kit Steinkellner
Kit Steinkellner
also
: of, relating to, or in the style of a semi-autobiographical work
a semi-autobiographical protagonist/character/role
Through semiautobiographical storytelling, Jenna Dawn Maclellan's project will address the challenges of daily life in the North … —The Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star The acclaimed artist … is known for the semi-autobiographical nature of his work, which riffs on his own youth in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam. —Guy Dixon
Guy Dixon Is this all meant to be a semi-autobiographical comment on what fame does to relationships, since [Darren] Aronofsky and [Jennifer] Lawrence are an item in real life? —Ryan Lambie
Ryan Lambie Examples of semi-autobiographical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wahlberg’s breakout role came in indie feature Don’t Come Back From The Moon, adapted from Dean Bakopolous 2005 semi-autobiographical novel.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by author Amélie Nothomb, the film begins with the birth of the main character, a young Belgian girl whose father works as a diplomat in ’60s Japan, while the nation still had several scars from World War II.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Miškinis and writer Eglė Vertelytė (who adapts Rimantas Kmita’s semi-autobiographical novel) masterfully dodge genre tropes, avoiding confining their characters to simplistic labels and keeping the focus of their arcs self-motivated.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
With his semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous, Oscar-winning writer-director Cameron Crowe tapped into his past as an outcast high schooler turned unlikely Rolling Stone reporter.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Erin Foster’s semi-autobiographical series about a podcaster falling for a rabbi quickly became inescapable.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
La MaMa produced the first version of what would become his legendary semi-autobiographical play, Torch Song Trilogy; it was later transferred to Broadway, winning him his first and second Tonys.
—Zach Schiffman, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
And the film is only semi-autobiographical and reflects some actual details about Prince among plenty of sheer fiction.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2014, Alonzo created and starred in Cristela, a semi-autobiographical sitcom that ran for one season on ABC.
—Terry Gross, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
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.
Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by author Amélie Nothomb, the film begins with the birth of the main character, a young Belgian girl whose father works as a diplomat in ’60s Japan, while the nation still had several scars from World War II.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Miškinis and writer Eglė Vertelytė (who adapts Rimantas Kmita’s semi-autobiographical novel) masterfully dodge genre tropes, avoiding confining their characters to simplistic labels and keeping the focus of their arcs self-motivated.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
With his semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous, Oscar-winning writer-director Cameron Crowe tapped into his past as an outcast high schooler turned unlikely Rolling Stone reporter.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Erin Foster’s semi-autobiographical series about a podcaster falling for a rabbi quickly became inescapable.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
La MaMa produced the first version of what would become his legendary semi-autobiographical play, Torch Song Trilogy; it was later transferred to Broadway, winning him his first and second Tonys.
—Zach Schiffman, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
And the film is only semi-autobiographical and reflects some actual details about Prince among plenty of sheer fiction.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2014, Alonzo created and starred in Cristela, a semi-autobiographical sitcom that ran for one season on ABC.
—Terry Gross, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Semi-autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi-autobiographical. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share