semi-autobiographical

adjective

semi-au·​to·​bio·​graph·​i·​cal ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce semi-autobiographical (audio)
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
The 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
Pedro 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
In this semiautobiographical take on her own life, [Pamela] Adlon plays "Sam," a working actress and single parent in Los Angeles.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 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
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

Examples of semi-autobiographical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Dunham—who created the semi-autobiographical Netflix series with her musician husband, Luis Felber—breathes new life into the rom-com by exploring how both thirtysomethings have been damaged by prior relationships and by their disparate family dynamics. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 July 2025 And now the comedian, actress and macro-influencer is preparing to take her act to the next level: a five-city tour of her semi-autobiographical, multimedia live show, Girlwind. Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 10 July 2025 That tension may have been baked into the pitch for Too Much from the start, which Dunham has described as both semi-autobiographical and an attempt to re-create the rom-com fantasies of Richard Curtis for the 2020s. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 July 2025 At 34 years old, the actress is finally taking center stage in Too Much, a semi-autobiographical romantic-comedy series from Girls creator Lena Dunham, starring Will Sharpe, Emily Ratajkowski, Naomi Watts, and Andrew Rannells. airmail.news, 5 July 2025 Next up: a semi-autobiographical comedy series also on Prime Video. Andrea Lavinthal, People.com, 18 June 2025 The semi-autobiographical series quickly became a runaway hit upon release and was subsequently renewed for a second season that is set to premiere on Oct. 23. Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 10 June 2025 The book is also a semi-autobiographical trek through parts of Vowinckel’s own life. Troy McMullen, ABC News, 8 June 2025 The married filmmakers started penning the semi-autobiographical screenplay as a therapeutic exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after adopting their son. Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semi-autobiographical was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Semi-autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi-autobiographical. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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