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

Acevedo’s debut pic follows Andrés, a young Chilean muleteer and self-taught musician who leaves his hometown to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician in Mexico.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Primarily self-taught, Drexler often worked at an intimate scale, mostly for practical reasons.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of self-taught

Adjective

The hot mic saw to it that Rodgers' message to McCarthy was loud and clear and any amateur lip reader could also clearly decipher the head coach's response to his quarterback who spent 13 seasons with him in Green Bay.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
West, founded in 1908, spent much of its first century yo-yoing up and down the standings of amateur leagues on anonymous fields around south Manchester.

— Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of autodidactic

adjective

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