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
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
Richard Gadd’s searing, semi-autobiographical dramedy — which appeared on the kudos scene a scant one month before the close of eligibility — went on to essentially sweep Limited Series categories at last September’s Emmys.
—Michael Ausiello, TVLine, 6 June 2025
And so, the first act of the movie is semi-autobiographical, up until a certain point.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 June 2025
One of his most notable works was the 1982 semi-autobiographical novel A Boy’s Own Story, now seen as a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ literature.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 June 2025
But rather than a semi-autobiographical—and intensely personal—black comedy like creator-star Richard Gadd’s Reindeer, Adolescence is a harrowing drama about the effects of incel culture and the misogynistic manosphere on kids who can’t even imagine growing up without social media.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
And David Henry Hwang, the playwright, offers the most damning of all definitions in his semi-autobiographical masterpiece Yellow Face, up for three Tony Awards next week, including best revival of a play.
—Jose Antonio Vargas, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
This story, written by two brothers and made by two brothers, is semi-autobiographical.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 19 May 2025
The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
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Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Richard Gadd’s searing, semi-autobiographical dramedy — which appeared on the kudos scene a scant one month before the close of eligibility — went on to essentially sweep Limited Series categories at last September’s Emmys.
—Michael Ausiello, TVLine, 6 June 2025
And so, the first act of the movie is semi-autobiographical, up until a certain point.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 June 2025
One of his most notable works was the 1982 semi-autobiographical novel A Boy’s Own Story, now seen as a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ literature.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 June 2025
But rather than a semi-autobiographical—and intensely personal—black comedy like creator-star Richard Gadd’s Reindeer, Adolescence is a harrowing drama about the effects of incel culture and the misogynistic manosphere on kids who can’t even imagine growing up without social media.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
And David Henry Hwang, the playwright, offers the most damning of all definitions in his semi-autobiographical masterpiece Yellow Face, up for three Tony Awards next week, including best revival of a play.
—Jose Antonio Vargas, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
This story, written by two brothers and made by two brothers, is semi-autobiographical.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 19 May 2025
The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Semi-autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi-autobiographical. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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