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
Unlike much of Martin's comedy work, as well as their semi-autobiographical rom-com series Feel Good (also on Netflix), Wayward isn't based on their life, but there is a lot of Martin's personal experience baked into the miniseries.
—EW.com, 31 July 2025
Materialists is the sophomore effort from Song, who dazzled audiences for the first time in 2023, with her semi-autobiographical Past Lives, which tells the story of childhood sweethearts Nora and Hae Sung who reunite two decades later and wrestle with the complexities of love and destiny.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The feature, which was billed as being semi-autobiographical for LaBeouf who later rescinded the familial claims, was released in 2019.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 July 2025
However, much of the ire aimed at Hannah seemed to be intertwined with what viewers thought about Dunham herself, who touted the character as semi-autobiographical and was the subject of intense scrutiny during the years Girls was on the air.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 18 July 2025
Not personally — though as a semi-autobiographical stand-in for Too Much co-creator Lena Dunham, who also found new love after decamping to the U.K., Jessica does seem familiar.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Dunham, who is currently promoting her semi-autobiographical comedy series, Too Much, reflected on the milestone in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, April 30.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 15 July 2025
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
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EW.com, 31 July 2025
Materialists is the sophomore effort from Song, who dazzled audiences for the first time in 2023, with her semi-autobiographical Past Lives, which tells the story of childhood sweethearts Nora and Hae Sung who reunite two decades later and wrestle with the complexities of love and destiny.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The feature, which was billed as being semi-autobiographical for LaBeouf who later rescinded the familial claims, was released in 2019.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 July 2025
However, much of the ire aimed at Hannah seemed to be intertwined with what viewers thought about Dunham herself, who touted the character as semi-autobiographical and was the subject of intense scrutiny during the years Girls was on the air.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 18 July 2025
Not personally — though as a semi-autobiographical stand-in for Too Much co-creator Lena Dunham, who also found new love after decamping to the U.K., Jessica does seem familiar.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Dunham, who is currently promoting her semi-autobiographical comedy series, Too Much, reflected on the milestone in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, April 30.
—Catherine Santino, People.com, 15 July 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Semi-autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi-autobiographical. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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