as in autodidactic
having skills or knowledge acquired through one's own efforts without formal training
the cellist's success is all the more remarkable because she is self-taught
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 self-taught
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
People saw my growth [and related to being] self-taught and wanting to be an idol.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Many of the artists are self-taught.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Both of my brothers were self-taught.
—Nadia Murad, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-taught
Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
People saw my growth [and related to being] self-taught and wanting to be an idol.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Many of the artists are self-taught.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Both of my brothers were self-taught.
—Nadia Murad, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-taught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-taught
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
This is Ganne's sixth time playing the ANWA, which already has become as prestigious as any amateur event in women's golf, mainly because of where the final round is played.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Dozens of amateur and professional photographers were invited to find beauty in the invisible world of force fields and subatomic particles, which blip into existence for fractions of a second and hold secrets about the origin and fate of the universe.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-taught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-taught. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
