as in self-taught
having skills or knowledge acquired through one's own efforts without formal training
an autodidactic painter, John Singleton Copley learned his craft from books purchased from England
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Recent Examples of autodidactic
Over the past decade, she’s cultivated a reputation for a new kind of defiant, autodidactic pop stardom.
—
Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autodidactic
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Elsewhere, Chalamet and Okonma’s characters try their hand at sports gambling, cleaning up cash in an amateur tournament thanks to Marty’s talents.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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The competition among amateur teenagers was ruthless.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Autodidactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autodidactic. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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