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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David MacMartin, a Westview science teacher who taught her honors and Advanced Placement biology, said most of Fan’s skills with the work were self-taught.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
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Where Obama is a product of Ivy League schools, Lincoln was largely self-taught.—
Jim Williams,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Augusta’s reasoning was that running an amateur tournament helps grow the game and support the next generation of female golfers, and the club has a long history of supporting amateurs.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Autodidactic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autodidactic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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