Synonyms of self-taught

self-taught

adjective

ˈself-ˈtȯt 

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

• autodidactic
• amateur
• self-educated
• self-instructed
• unschooled
• naive
• primitive
• untutored
• naïf
• natural

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• taught
• trained
• educated
• schooled
• lettered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of self-taught

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

Many of the teachers had no formal training, and some of them were local Black people who were self-taught. — Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 16 June 2026

Largely self-taught, Cole was a relentless observer of material fact. — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026