AUTODIDACTIC Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

autodidactic

adjective

Definition of autodidactic

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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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.

Recent Examples of autodidactic His autodidactic impulses may lead him to the history of clock towers or to the interplanetary rarity of wood. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for autodidactic

Adjective

Smith started in finance and was self-taught in the business of fashion, building brands from the ground up, learning every part of the process–design, product development, manufacturing, marketing–by doing.

— Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Ghasemipour is self-taught, which is why his pizza craft is so obsessive.

— Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026

Definition of self-taught

Adjective

Adell has spent his entire career with the Angels after being the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.

— David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, the lab has turned into a record label, with local musicians, many of them amateur, making records through collaborations with the lab.

— Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of amateur

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autocrats

autodidactic

autoerotic

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“Autodidactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autodidactic. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of autodidactic

adjective

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