Biography vs Autobiography: Similarities and Differences
Chris Drew (PhD)
Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]
Learn about our Editorial Process
A biography is an account of someone’s life story that is written by an author who is not the subject of the nook. An autobiography, on the other hand, involves an individual narrating their own life experiences.
The differences between biographies and autobiographies relate most prominently to the authorhship:
- Autobiography: When you read an autobiography, you’re getting the author’s own interpretation of their life.
- Biography: When you read a biography, you experience the subject’s life through someone else’s lens (Schiffrin & Brockmeier, 2012).
Biography vs Autobiography
1. biography.
A biography is a detailed account of a person’s life, scripted by an author who is not the person who is featured in the text itself.
This type of life story focuses both on factual events in the person’s life, such as birth, education, work, and death, but often also delves into personal aspects like experiences, relationships, and significant achievements.
It may also weave-in cultural and contextual factors that help illuminate the person’s motivations and core values .
Origins of Biographies
The concept of biography as a literary genre dates back to antiquity. Such works were primarily used to capture the lives of dignified individuals, mainly rulers and war heroes.
Suetonius’s Lives of the Caesars and Plutarch’s Parallel Lives are landmark examples from this ancient period (Sweet, 2010).
The popularity of biographical works only grew in the ensuing centuries, and they became a prominent part of many cultures’ literary traditions.
Into the 18th century and during the Enlightenment, biographies began to present a more balanced portrayal of the subject. They would present both their strengths and flaws, providing a holistic perspective on the subject.
Dr. Samuel Johnson’s compilation of English poets biographies, Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1779-1781) ushered in a new era of biography writing by focusing on examining human nature (Ditchfield, 2018).
In the modern era, the genre has evolved and broadened, encompassing a diverse range of figures from all walks of life – there’s a biography in every niche imaginable, with each offering readers an in-depth exploration of their lives, their struggles, and their triumphs.
This demonstrates the enduring appeal of biographies and their value in providing snapshots of history through individual lenses.
Key Characteristics of Biographies
| The author of the biography is not the person who the story is about. The writer is an observer who collects, verifies, and narrates the life story of the person in focus (Smith et al., 2012). | |
| A biography doesn’t have the of an autobiography. So, a biography is often more trustworthy, but we still need to examine the incentives of the actual author (Jones, 2015). | |
| A biography covers all the significant aspects of the person’s life. From birth to death, or their most noteworthy accomplishments, it encompasses a wide array of life events (Johnson & Johnson, 2017). | |
| A biography prioritizes facts and major milestones in an individual’s life, such as , careers, relationships, and more. It does not delve into trivial details unless they are relevant to the person’s life story (Williams, 2019). |
Examples of Biographies
Title: The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets Author: Dr. Samuel Johnson Description: Dr. Johnson’s work profiles the lives of 52 poets from the 17th and 18th centuries, including John Milton and Alexander Pope. He critiques not just the works, but also explores their personal lives and the sociopolitical contexts of their times (Johnson, 1781). Johnson’s study is invaluable for its integrated historic and biographic approach.
Title: The Life of Samuel Johnson Author: James Boswell Description: This work by Boswell explores, in great depth, the life of his friend and mentor, Dr. Samuel Johnson. The biography offers a compelling portrayal of Dr. Johnson’s life, character, eccentricities, and intellectual prowess (Boswell, 1791). Boswell’s vivid account creates a near-physical presence of Johnson to the readers, making it one of the greatest biographies in English literature.
Title: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt Author: Edmund Morris Description: In this Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Morris chronicles the early life of Theodore Roosevelt until his ascension to the U.S presidency. The work brilliantly captures Roosevelt’s extraordinary career and his transformation from a frail asthmatic boy into a robust and vigorous leader (Morris, 1979). Morris accurately represents Roosevelt’s indomitable spirit, making it an engaging and educational read.
Title: Steve Jobs Author: Walter Isaacson Description: This comprehensive biography provides a deep-dive into the life and career of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple. Isaacson had unparalleled access to Jobs and those closest to him, thus presenting an intimate and detailed account. He explores Jobs’ professional endeavors as well as his personal life, revealing his ambition, intensity, and visionary mind that revolutionized several high-tech industries (Isaacson, 2011).
Title: Alexander Hamilton Author: Ron Chernow Description: Ron Chernow provides a sweeping narrative of one of America’s most compelling founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Chernow combines extensive research with a flair for storytelling, charting Hamilton’s evolution from an orphan into a political genius. The book sheds light on Hamilton’s crucial role in the formation of the United States’ financial system and his political ideologies (Chernow, 2004).
2. Autobiography
An autobiography is a self-written record of someone’s own life. It is a personal narrative in which the author writes about their life from their own perspective.
Autobiographies are usually centered around the author’s personal experiences, including key milestones, challenges, and achievements (Eakin, 2015).
They’re also often a defense of the person’s perspective (especially in political autobiographies) or insight into their thought processes, which can make them very intimate.
Origins of Autobiographies
The term ‘autobiography’ was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English periodical The Monthly Review, when he suggested the word as a hybrid but condemned it as ‘pedantic’.
Pioneering examples of the genre form include Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821) and the memoirs by veterans of the Napoleonic Wars (Lejeune, 2016).
However, apart from these early instances, autobiographies have been composed by a wide array of individuals from history.
In the early 20th century, the genre witnessed major transformations, and autobiographies started to cover a broader spectrum of experiences, including trauma, struggles, and successes.
‘Black Boy’ by Richard Wright, for instance, shares the author’s experiences with racism and his journey towards developing a literary career (Wright, 1945).
This was followed by a host of autobiographies by public figures sharing their diverse stories, such as Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Moveable Feast’, depicting his days as a struggling young writer in Paris (Hemingway, 1964).
Autobiography as a genre has continued to evolve over the years, and a variety of forms have emerged to communicate individual experiences globally.
As history has progressed, we see more and more people with diverse perspectives sharing their stories, broadening our understanding of the human experience (Smith & Watson, 2010).
Key Characteristics of Autobiographies
| The author of the autobiography is the person the story is about. They are the principal actor and the of the information (Miller, 2014). As a result, we can get a deeper ‘insider’ insight into their mentality and expereinces. | |
| An autobiography emphasizes the personal viewpoint adopted by the author. The story is told from their own emotions, biases, and interpretations, providing a very personal perspective. However, we also need to be aware that it’s going to only present one self-serving perspective on the matter. | |
| Autobiographies go beyond factual accounts and include the author’s internal thoughts, emotions, and introspections about their experiences (Baker et al., 2013). | |
| Unlike a biography, an autobiography may not cover the entirety of the author’s life. Instead, they’re more likely to concentrate on specific themes (like resilience) or significant periods (like childhood or a specific career phase) (Brown & Brown, 2018). |
Examples of Autobiographies
Title: Long Walk to Freedom Author: Nelson Mandela Description: “Long Walk to Freedom” provides an in-depth exploration of ex-President Nelson Mandela, his political journey, and his stand against apartheid in South Africa. The biography offers a unique perspective into Mandela’s noble character, his indomitable spirit, and his commitment to justice when faced with grave adversities (Mandela, 1995). Mandela serves as one of our times’ great moral and political leaders through this biography.
Title: The Diary of a Young Girl Author: Anne Frank Description: This biography provides a startling firsthand account of a young Jewish girl named Anne Frank, who with her family, hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Her diary entries offer profound insights into the fear, hope, and resilience she demonstrated during her two years in hiding (Frank, 1947). Frank’s posthumous biographical record serves as a reminder of the injustices of the past and as a symbol of endurance in the face of oppression.
Title: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Author: Maya Angelou Description: This moving autobiography charts Maya Angelou’s early life, from experiencing racial discrimination in the South to becoming the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Angelou portrays her journey of self-discovery and overcoming traumatic experiences, including racial prejudice and personal trauma, with remarkable strength and grace. Her story is one of resilience, and it speaks powerfully about finding one’s voice (Angelou, 1969).
Title: Night Author: Elie Wiesel Description: “Night” is Wiesel’s personal account of his experiences in Nazi concentration camps during World War II with his father. This heartbreaking narrative describes not only physical hardship and cruel atrocities but also examines the loss of innocence and the struggle to maintain faith in humanity. It stands as a testament to human resilience in the face of unimaginable horror (Wiesel, 1960).
Title: Dreams from My Father Author: Barack Obama Description: In this engaging memoir, the 44th President of the United States narrates the story of his diverse background and early life. The narrative extends from his birth in Hawaii to his first visit to Kenya, from dealing with racial identity to self-discovery. “Dreams from My Father” not only provides personal insights about Obama’s life and values but also discusses issues of race, identity, and purpose (Obama, 1995).
Similarities and Differences Between Biographies and Autobiographies
| 1. Authorship | Written by a third party. The author and subject are different individuals (Smith et al., 2012). | Written by the subject themselves. The author is the person the story is about (Miller, 2014). |
| 2. Perspective | Presents an objective perspective, offering a balanced view of the subject’s life (Jones, 2015). | Emphasizes a subjective perspective, providing a very personal view of the author’s life. |
| 3. Content | Focuses on facts and major life events, offering a comprehensive account of an individual’s life (Johnson & Johnson, 2017). | Often includes personal reflections and feelings, may focus on specific themes or periods in the author’s life (Baker et al., 2013; Brown & Brown, 2018). |
| 4. Personal Reflections | Contains limited personal reflections or emotions of the subject. | Contains an abundance of personal reflections and emotions from the author (Baker et al., 2013). |
| 5. Subjectivity / Objectivity | More objective due to the distance between the author and the subject (Jones, 2015). | More subjective due to the close relationship between the author and the subject – they’re the same person. |
| 6. Strengths | Provides an impartial and factual account of a person’s life, which can be helpful for historical or academic study (Williams, 2019). | Gives a deeper insight into a person’s thoughts and emotions, providing a unique perspective on their life experiences (Baker et al., 2013). |
| 7. Weaknesses | May lack personal insight or emotional depth due to its objective approach (Williams, 2019). | May be biased or overly emotional due to its subjective approach, and may not cover the entirety of the author’s life (Brown & Brown, 2018). |
While both biographies and autobiographies are excellent sources of information and entertainment about significant figures in history (or the present!), they serve different purposes. By knowing the different purposes of each, we can develop stronger media literacy , understanding what the intention of the author is, and how we should approach the text.
Angelou, M. (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . Random House.
Baker, J., Davis, E., & Thompson, K. (2013). Reflection and Emotions in Autobiography . Chicago University Press.
Boswell, J. (1791). The Life of Samuel Johnson . J.R. Taylor.
Brown, J., & Brown, S. (2018). Thematic Focus in Autobiography Writing . Princeton University Press.
Chernow, R. (2004). Alexander Hamilton . Penguin Books.
Ditchfield, S. (2018). Extracting the Domestic from the Didactic: Transmission and Translation of the Sacred in The Lives of the Ancient Fathers (1672–1675). Church History and Religious Culture, 98 (1), 28-50.
Eakin, P. J. (2015). How Our Lives Become Stories: Making Selves . Cornell University Press.
Frank, A. (1947). The Diary of a Young Girl . Contact Publishing.
Hemingway, E. (1964). A Moveable Feast . Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs . Simon & Schuster.
Johnson, M., & Johnson, S. (2017). A Comprehensive Guide to Biography Writing . New York: Penguin.
Johnson, S. (1781). The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets . Printed by C. Bathurst, J. Buckland [and 28 others in London].
Jones, B. (2015). The Art of Writing Biographies: An Objective Approach . Oxford University Press.
Lejeune, P. (2016). On Autobiography . University of Minnesota Press.
Mandela, N. (1995). Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela . Macdonald Purnell.
Miller, R. (2014). The Self as the Subject: Autobiography Writing . Stanford University Press.
Morris, E. (1979). The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt . Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.
Obama, B. (1995). Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance . Crown Publishing Group.
Schiffrin D., & Brockmeier J. (2012). Narrative Identity and Autobiographical Recall. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements, 70 , 113-144.
Smith, J., Davis, M., & Thompson, S. (2012). Third Party Narratives: An Exploration of Biography Writing . Cambridge University Press.
Smith, S., & Watson, J. (2010). Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives . University of Minnesota Press.
Sweet, R. (2010). Biographical Dictionaries and Historiography. Bibliothèque d’Humanisme et Renaissance, 72 (2), 355–368.
Wiesel, E. (1960). Night . Hill & Wang.
Williams, T. (2019). The Importance of Facts in Biographies . HarperCollins.
Wright, R. (1945). Black Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth . Harper & Brothers.
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
- Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples
Leave a Comment Cancel Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
- More from M-W
- To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In
autobiography
Definition of autobiography
Examples of autobiography in a sentence.
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autobiography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
auto- + biography , perhaps after German Autobiographie
1797, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing autobiography
- semi - autobiography
Dictionary Entries Near autobiography
autobiographist
Cite this Entry
“Autobiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autobiography. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of autobiography, more from merriam-webster on autobiography.
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for autobiography
Nglish: Translation of autobiography for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of autobiography for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autobiography
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
Can you solve 4 words at once?
Word of the day.
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
Popular in Grammar & Usage
Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, how to use accents and diacritical marks, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.
- Key Differences
Know the Differences & Comparisons
Difference between Biography and Autobiography
Both of these two presents the view of, what happened in the past where the author lived. These are non-fiction books, written in chronological order, tells a story about the person who made a significant contribution in a specific field. Many think that the two writing forms are one and the same thing, but there are noticeable difference between the two, that are presented in the given article.
Content: Biography Vs Autobiography
Comparison chart.
| Basis for Comparison | Biography | Autobiography |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Biography refers to an account that tells someone else's life story. | Autobiography means an account that tells your life story. |
| Authorization | Can be written, with or without the authorization of the subject. | Not required |
| Written in | Third person | First person |
| Purpose | To inform | To express and inform |
| Outlook | Based on facts collected by the author. | Full of emotions and thoughts. |
Definition of Biography
A biography also referred as ‘bio’ is a detailed account of a person’s life written or produced by another person. It gives an elaborate information regarding the birthplace, educational background, work, relationships and demise of the person concerned. It presents the subject’s intimate details about life, focusing on the highs and lows and analysing their whole personality.
A biography is usually in the written form but can also be made in other forms of a music composition or literature to film interpretation.
It is the recreation of the life of an individual composed of words by another person. The author collects every single detail about the subject and presents those facts in the biography, which are relevant and interesting, to engross the readers in the story.
Definition of Autobiography
An autobiography is the life sketch of a person written by that person himself or herself. The word auto means ‘self.’ Therefore, autobiography contains all the elements of a biography but composed or narrated by the author himself. He/She may write on their own or may hire ghostwriters to write for them.
An autobiography presents the narrator’s character sketch, the place where he is born and brought up, his education, work, life experiences, challenges, and achievements. This may include events and stories of his childhood, teenage, and adulthood.
Key Differences Between Biography and Autobiography
The difference between biography and autobiography are discussed in detail in the following points:
- Biography is a detailed account of a person’s life written by someone else, while an autobiography is written by the subject themselves.
- Biography can be written with (authorised) or without permission (unauthorised) from the person/heir’s concerned. Therefore, there are chances of factual mistakes in the information. On the other hand, autobiographies are self-written and therefore doesn’t require any authorization.
- Biographies contain information that is collected over a period of time from different sources and thus, it projects a different outlook to the readers. On the other hand, autobiographies are written by the subject themselves, therefore, the writer presents the facts and his thinking in his own way, thus providing an overall narrow and biased perspective to the readers.
- In an Autobiography, the author uses the first narrative like I, me, we, he, she, etc. This, in turn, makes an intimate connection between the author and the reader since the reader experience various aspects as if he/she is in that time period. As opposed a biography is from a third person’s view and is much less intimate.
- The purpose of writing a biography is to introduce and inform the readers about the person and his life whereas an autobiography is written in order to express, the life experiences and achievements of the narrator.
Video: Biography Vs Autobiography
There are several autobiographies which are worth mentioning like ‘The Story of My Life’ by Helen Keller, ‘An Autobiography’ by Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank, ‘Memoirs of the Second World War’ by Winston Churchill, ‘Wings of Fire’ by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and much more.
Examples of some famous biographies are- Tolstoy: A Russian Life by Rosamund Bartlett, His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis, Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald William Clark, Biography of Walt Disney: The Inspirational Life Story of Walt Disney – The Man Behind “Disneyland” by Steve Walters, Princess Diana- A Biography Of The Princess Of Wales by Drew L. Crichton.
You Might Also Like:
May 4, 2017 at 12:13 am
This website is amazing because my class is reading over it
Joseph says
February 21, 2023 at 8:18 am
I have gotten the answers I really needed at this site
Mukesh Kumar Guar says
February 12, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Little and complete information I was looking for.
Abdul Rahim Muhammad Latif says
February 26, 2019 at 6:09 pm
nice wake well done
Hanady says
October 18, 2019 at 5:51 pm
Amazing! Very helpful and useful. Thank you!
May 7, 2023 at 6:47 am
your article is very well explained
Manish Bhati says
June 21, 2023 at 11:51 am
Great explanation by Surbhi S, it clears confusion between biographies and autobiographies.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
- Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
Meaning of autobiography in English
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
- multi-volume
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Related words
Autobiography | american dictionary, examples of autobiography, translations of autobiography.
Get a quick, free translation!
Word of the Day
a small bed for a baby or young child with high bars around the sides so that the child cannot fall out
Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)
Learn more with +Plus
- Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
- Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
- Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
- Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
- English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
- English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
- English–Dutch Dutch–English
- English–French French–English
- English–German German–English
- English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
- English–Italian Italian–English
- English–Japanese Japanese–English
- English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
- English–Polish Polish–English
- English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
- English–Spanish Spanish–English
- English–Swedish Swedish–English
- Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
- English Noun
- American Noun
- Translations
- All translations
To add autobiography to a word list please sign up or log in.
Add autobiography to one of your lists below, or create a new one.
{{message}}
Something went wrong.
There was a problem sending your report.
Literary English
Difference between Biography and Autobiography
Biography and autobiography and are two ways to explain a person’s life story. These two have some key differences and similarities. This article will discuss biography and autobiography in detail. Moreover, we will find some best autobiographies and biographies as well.
What exactly is a biography?
A biography, often known as a bio, is a detailed description of a person’s life. It shows a person’s experience of life events such as school, jobs, relationships, and death, rather than merely the basic facts. A biography book can represent the whole life events of an individual.
Unlike a resume or profile best biography explains the events in a person’s life in detail. We can write about essential aspects of their life and do a personality analysis in a biography book.
What exactly is an autobiography?
The author writes an autobiography to represent their life experiences and success. That is why writers mostly write autobiographies at the end of their lives. It uses a first-person point of view because the main character writes it.
It is usually written by any famous personality who people want to know more about. It is not a rule that only well-known people can write their autobiographies. Anyone can write the story of their life.
Differences between biography and autobiography
Main differences between biography and autobiography are:
Anyone can write a biography of someone.
A biography book is often considered less accurate because someone else writes about another person.
Permissions are necessary to write a biography about someone. It can cause issues if the person is not comfortable to be written about.
A person who writes a biography book usually collects data through newspapers or journals. They can also interview the main character.
Some biography examples: are Steve Jobs, Leonardo the Vinci, Alexander Hamilton
Autobiography :
Any person can write an autobiography about themselves based on their perspectives.
An autobiography book is more accurate because the narrator has faced the events themselves.
There is no need of taking anyone’s permission to write an autobiography
Some autobiography examples are: The Diary of a Young Girl, Dreams from My Father, and Born a Crime.
Memories and occasions of one’s life are the basis of an autobiography book.
Similarities between biography and autobiography
There are differences as well as some similar things between these two writing styles. These are:
Biographies and autobiographies are both nonfiction texts. They are based on reality.
Both types of writing are typically written in sequence. This indicates that they write events from birth to death, or from the present to the future.
We write biographies and autobiographies for the same objective. These narratives are intended to educate the reader about facts, events, and experiences from someone’s life.
Focus/subject: The subject of both are famous personalities. Many celebrities, scientists, politicians, and historical personalities have biographies and autobiographies.
Types of biographies
Biographies have four categories: historical fiction, academic, fictional academic, and prophetic biography.
Historical Fiction Biography
In this type, the author writes about the persons who are still alive. They can be celebrities, politicians, or any other famous personality. Their true stories inspire people and motivate them. Historical fiction biography book often becomes a movie with additional fiction added. It provides both entertainment and information. Facts related to the person are sometimes not accurate in this kind. Historical fiction does not need to be perfectly precise in information.
Academic Biography
An academic biography is based on documented facts and figures. This type requires accuracy and no fiction at all. A person’s life events and success are described with fact-checked data. Academic biographies are not so simple to read. They provide many references related to the work. It is all history so people do not prefer to read something so dry. These biographies have a small readership and are rarely used outside of the classroom.
“John Wyclif: Myth and reality” is one of the academic biography examples.
Academic Fictional Biography
This type combines history and fiction. The combination is great because people get information in a fun way. The outcome is a balanced portrayal of how someone may have lived. It is done by mixing the author’s unique insights into life with the facts and teachings of the personality.
East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart is one of the academic fictional biography examples.
Prophetic Biography
A prophetic biography varies from fictional biography. It tries to inspire the reader through the written personality. This type of biography creates a purpose along with entertainment. The goal is to give life lessons for the betterment of the readers. A fan of a prophetic biography will return to it again and again throughout their life for comfort, meaning, and guidance. “Free Eric. Bonhoeffer” and “Muhammad (PBUH) Islam and The First Arab Empire” are prophetic biography examples.
Types of Autobiography
An autobiography can be classified into four basic categories: thematic, religious, philosophical, and fictionalized.
Thematic Autobiography
Thematic autobiographies are typically more than just life stories. They express an underlying purpose within the narration. In this type, the author write autobiography to convey specific thoughts or ideals. The ideals can be any message that the author believes should be conveyed to the audience through this story.
Religious Autobiography In this type, author write autobiography that covers the journey towards religious enlightenment. People can take guidance from these autobiographies to follow the religious path. Thomas Merton’s “The Seven Storey Mountain” and “My Spiritual Journey” by the Dalai Lama are religious autobiography examples.
Scientific Autobiography
Scientific autobiography is about telling people about your journey. It tells important events that brought you to where you are now. You consider what has shaped your ideas and share it with the reader. Someone who reads this is curious about what has shaped you into who you are.
Fictional autobiography reflects the true experiences of the author. Some parts are dramatized to hide the identity of many people. Fiction is added to increase the artistic quantity of autobiography.
After reading all these types, you must be curious about how to write a biography or an autobiography. In this part we will teach you main points to write them.
How to Write a Biography
Following are the main points to write a Biography
Choose a subject
Take permissions
Research the subject
Form thesis
Outline the story
Include your thoughts
Choose a subject : The first step to write a biography is deciding on a subject. The method will be largely the same either way. You should look at important life events, relationships, and the person’s impact on society. Read more biography examples to get a better idea of writing it.
Take permissions: Once you’ve decided on a biography subject, get permission to write about their lives. If the person accepts, they will be able to provide accurate facts about their life.
Research the subject: To get the facts correct, research is essential. There are two types of research: primary and secondary. Primary sources are initial information about your subject’s life and are generally the most trustworthy sources. You can also use secondary information from magazines or documentaries if they are from valid sources.
Form Thesis : The first paragraph of your biography should tell the reader what they will learn about this individual from it. It should be interesting to grab the reader’s attention.
Outline the Story: Determine the major argument, or thesis, and then outline how each section will tell a different element to support that thesis. Determine whether you want to write about the subject’s entire life or simply a portion of it.
Include your thoughts: The author might add their ideas in the biography. This will assist you in explaining to the audience why a particular personality influences you. will show the purpose of why you wrote about this person. It will keep the audience reading from the first to the last sentence.
How to Write an Autobiography
Writing about your life can be intimidating but it can become easy by following some rules. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to write an autobiography book:
Generate ideas
Create outline
Do research
Begin writing
Generate ideas: Make sure to cover all events of your life as you go through your memories. Begin with your youth, then move on to high school. Make sure to write about the event that made you famous.
Create Outline: Begin organizing a story based on the most interesting moments from your imagination. Then write every point that you will include in your autobiography book.
Research: You can interview your family and friends to remind you of details about different events. Examine your journals or old diaries, if you have any.
Begin writing: For the first time, you will be unable to write well. Write down all of the information you remember. Then, sort them out and write again.
Proofread: You should identify weak points in the story and make positive changes. Consider what you’d seek in a biography of another individual and apply it to your autobiography.
List of some most famous biographies and autobiographies are given below:
Examples of Biography
Churchill: A life by martin gilbert
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
A beautiful mind by Sylvia Nasar
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson
Shelley: The Pursuit by Richard Holmes
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Examples of Autobiography
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Open by Andre Agassi
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Autobiography of Mark Twain
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
Conclusion :
There are many differences as well as similarities between biography and autobiography. You can write a biography of any famous personality by following the tips given above. The main tip to write a biography or autobiography is to read most of them first. Reading these is best for people who are interested in exploring non-fiction materials and history.
- History & Society
- Science & Tech
- Biographies
- Animals & Nature
- Geography & Travel
- Arts & Culture
- Games & Quizzes
- On This Day
- One Good Fact
- New Articles
- Lifestyles & Social Issues
- Philosophy & Religion
- Politics, Law & Government
- World History
- Health & Medicine
- Browse Biographies
- Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
- Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
- Environment
- Fossils & Geologic Time
- Entertainment & Pop Culture
- Sports & Recreation
- Visual Arts
- Demystified
- Image Galleries
- Infographics
- Top Questions
- Britannica Kids
- Saving Earth
- Space Next 50
- Student Center
autobiography summary
Know about the emergence of autobiography with some notable examples.
autobiography , Biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Little autobiographical literature exists from antiquity and the Middle Ages; with a handful of exceptions, the form begins to appear only in the 15th century. Autobiographical works take many forms, from intimate writings made during life that are not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to the formal autobiography. Outstanding examples of the genre extend from St. Augustine ’s Confessions ( c. ad 400) to Vladimir Nabokov ’s Speak, Memory (1951).
- Daily Crossword
- Word Puzzle
- Word Finder
- Word of the Day
- Synonym of the Day
- Word of the Year
- Language stories
- All featured
- Gender and sexuality
- All pop culture
- Writing hub
- Grammar essentials
- Commonly confused
- All writing tips
- Pop culture
- Writing tips
Advertisement
autobiography
[ aw-t uh -bahy- og -r uh -fee , -bee- , aw-toh- ]
- a history of a person's life written or told by that person.
/ ˌɔːtəʊbaɪˈɒɡrəfɪ; ˌɔːtəbaɪ- /
- an account of a person's life written or otherwise recorded by that person
- A literary work about the writer's own life. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa are autobiographical.
Derived Forms
- ˌautobiˈographer , noun
Other Words From
- auto·bi·ogra·pher noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of autobiography 1
Example Sentences
In so doing, she gave us an autobiography that has held up for more than a century.
His handwritten autobiography reawakens in Lee a longing to know her motherland.
His elocution, perfected on stage and evident in television and film, make X’s autobiography an easy yet informative listen.
The book is not so much an autobiography of Hastings — or even Netflix’s origin story.
By contrast, Shing-Tung Yau says in his autobiography that the Calabi-Yau manifold was given its name by other people eight years after he proved its existence, which Eugenio Calabi had conjectured some 20 years before that.
Glow: The Autobiography of Rick JamesRick James David Ritz (Atria Books) Where to begin?
Hulanicki was the subject of a 2009 documentary, Beyond Biba, based on her 2007 autobiography From A to Biba.
And it was also during the phase of the higher autobiography.
“Nighttime was the worst,” Bennett wrote in his autobiography.
Then I picked up a book that shredded my facile preconceptions—Hard Stuff: The Autobiography of Mayor Coleman Young.
No; her parents had but small place in that dramatic autobiography that Daphne was now constructing for herself.
His collected works, with autobiography, were published in 1865 under the editorship of Charles Hawkins.
But there is one point about the book that deserves some considering, its credibility as autobiography.
I thought you were anxious for leisure to complete your autobiography.
The smallest fragment of a genuine autobiography seems to me valuable for the student of past epochs.
Related Words
What is an Autobiography? Definition, Elements, and Writing Tips
What is an autobiography, and how do you define autobiography, exactly? If you’re hoping to write an autobiography, it’s an important thing to know. After all, you wouldn’t want to mislabel your book.
What sets an autobiography apart from a memoir or a biography? And what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography? Should you even write one? How? Today we will be discussing all things autobiographical, so you can learn what an autobiography is, what sets it apart, and how to write one of your own – should you so choose.
But before we get into writing tips, we must first define autobiography. So what is an autobiography, precisely?
Need A Nonfiction Book Outline?
This Guide to Autobiographies Contains Information On:
What is an autobiography: autobiography meaning defined.
What is an autobiography? It’s a firsthand recounting of an author’s own life. So, if you were to write an autobiography, you would be writing a true retelling of your own life events.
Autobiography cannot be bound to only one type of work. What an autobiography is has more to do with the contents than the format. For example, autobiographical works can include letters, diaries, journals, or books – and may not have even been meant for publication.
An autobiography is what many celebrities, government officials, and important social figures sit down to write at the end of their lives or distinguished careers.
Of course, the work doesn’t have to cover your whole life. You can absolutely write an autobiography in your 20s or 30s if you’ve lived through events worth sharing!
If an autobiography doesn’t cover the entire lifespan of the author, it can start to get confused with another genre of writing. So what’s an autobiography most similar to? And how can you tell it apart from other genres of writing? Let’s dive into the details.
What type of writing is most similar to an autobiography?
A memoir is undoubtedly what type of writing is most similar to an autobiography. So what is the difference between an autobiography vs memoir ?
Simply put, a memoir is a book that an author writes about their own life with the intention of communicating a lesson or message to the reader. It doesn’t need to be written in chronological order, and only contains pieces of the author’s life story.
An autobiography, on the other hand, is the author’s life story from birth to present, and it’s much less concerned with theme than it is with communicating a “highlight reel” of the author’s biggest life events.
In addition to memoirs, there is also some confusion between autobiography vs biography . A biography is a true story about someone’s life, but it is not about the author’s life.
Is an autobiography always nonfiction?
When many people define autobiography, they say it is a true or “nonfiction” telling of an author’s life – but that’s not always the case.
There is actually such a thing as autobiographical fiction .
Autobiographical fiction refers to a story that is based on fact and inspired by the author’s actual experiences…but has made-up characters or events. Any element in the story can be embellished upon or fabricated.
Even the information in a standard “nonfiction” autobiography should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, anything written from the author’s perspective may contain certain biases, distortions, or unconscious omissions within the text.
So if being nonfiction isn’t a defining characteristic of an autobiography, what is an autobiography defined by?
The key elements of an autobiography
What’s an autobiography like from cover to cover? It should contain these key elements:
- A personal narrative : It is a firsthand account of the author’s life experiences.
- A chronological structure : An autobiography typically follows a chronological order, tracing the author’s life from birth to present.
- Reflection and insight : The book should contain the author’s reflections, insights, and emotions about key life events.
- Key life events : The book should highlight significant events, milestones, and challenges in the author’s life.
- Setting and context : There should be descriptions of the time period, cultural background, and environment to help the reader understand the author’s life.
- Authenticity : The author should be honest and sincere in presenting their life story.
- A personal perspective : An autobiography is written from the author’s unique point of view.
- A strong conclusion : The ending of the book should reflect on the author’s current state or outlook.
Famous Autobiography Examples
Now that you know what an autobiography is, let’s look at some famous autobiography examples .
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)
Perhaps no autobiography is more famous than The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Her diary chronicles her profound thoughts, dreams, and fears as she hides with her family in the walls during the Holocaust.
Anne’s words resonate with the enduring spirit of hope amid unimaginable darkness.
The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Benjamin Franklin (1909)
Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography follows Franklin’s life from humble origins to one of America’s greatest forefathers. While originally intended as a collection of anecdotes for his son, this autobiography has become one of the most famous works of American literature.
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (1994)
Long Walk to Freedom narrates Nelson Mandela’s epic odyssey from South African prisoner to revered statesman. This masterpiece of an autobiography is a portrait of resilience against the backdrop of apartheid – and his words are a bastion for courage and human rights.
Now you know what an autobiography is, and some examples of successful autobiographies, so it’s time to discuss what goes into actually writing one.
Who Should Write an Autobiography?
Celebrity autobiographies are popular for a reason – the people who wrote them were already popular.
The main purpose of an autobiography is to portray the life experiences and achievements of the author. If you haven’t made any massive achievements that people are already aware of, an autobiography might not be for you. Instead, you should learn how to write a memoir .
After all, what’s an autobiography worth if no one reads it?
If you have made an important contribution to society, or have amassed a massive following of fans, then writing an autobiography could be a fabulous idea.
An autobiography is what allows you to claim your rightful place in history. It provides a legacy for your life, helps you to better understand your life’s journey, and can even be deeply therapeutic to write.
But then comes the next problem: how to write an autobiography.
Tips on Writing Your Own Autobiography
While memoirs are the books that teach life lessons, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your autobiography meaning. The best autobiographies paint a vivid tapestry of personal growth and introspection.
You don’t just want to tell the reader about your life – you want them to feel like they are living it with you.
And it’s not just about painting a picture with your prose. A lot of thought should go into everything from autobiography titles to page count. To get started, here are five tips for writing an autobiography:
- Know your audience : Understand who will read your autobiography and speak to them while writing.
- Be candid and authentic : A life seen through rose-colored glasses isn’t relatable. You should include your failures as well as your triumphs, and humanize yourself so your story resonates with your reader.
- Do your research : Of course you know what happened in your life, but how many details do you actually remember? You may need to sift through photos, archives, and diaries – and interview people close to you. Consider adding the photos to your book.
- Identify key themes : Identify key events and life lessons that have shaped you. Reflect on how these themes have evolved over time.
- Edit and edit again : Write freely first, then edit rigorously. Seek feedback from trusted individuals and consider professional editing to ensure clarity and coherence in your narrative. NO ONE writes perfectly the first time.
So there you have it, you are well on your way to understanding (and writing) an autobiography.
If you’d still like more guidance for writing your autobiography, you can check out our free autobiography template . We can’t wait for you to share your life story with the world.
Join the Community
Join 100,000 other aspiring authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them reach their author dreams. Get the latest product updates, company news, and special offers delivered right to your inbox.
What Is an Autobiography?
What to Consider Before You Start to Write
- Writing Research Papers
- Writing Essays
- English Grammar
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
Your life story, or autobiography , should contain the basic framework that any essay should have, with four basic elements. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement , followed by a body containing at least several paragraphs , if not several chapters. To complete the autobiography, you'll need a strong conclusion , all the while crafting an interesting narrative with a theme.
Did You Know?
The word autobiography literally means SELF (auto), LIFE (bio), WRITING (graph). Or, in other words, an autobiography is the story of someone's life written or otherwise told by that person.
When writing your autobiography, find out what makes your family or your experience unique and build a narrative around that. Doing some research and taking detailed notes can help you discover the essence of what your narrative should be and craft a story that others will want to read.
Research Your Background
Just like the biography of a famous person, your autobiography should include things like the time and place of your birth, an overview of your personality, your likes and dislikes, and the special events that shaped your life. Your first step is to gather background detail. Some things to consider:
- What is interesting about the region where you were born?
- How does your family history relate to the history of that region?
- Did your family come to that region for a reason?
It might be tempting to start your story with "I was born in Dayton, Ohio...," but that is not really where your story begins. It's better to start with an experience. You may wish to start with something like why you were born where you were and how your family's experience led to your birth. If your narrative centers more around a pivotal moment in your life, give the reader a glimpse into that moment. Think about how your favorite movie or novel begins, and look for inspiration from other stories when thinking about how to start your own.
Think About Your Childhood
You may not have had the most interesting childhood in the world, but everyone has had a few memorable experiences. Highlight the best parts when you can. If you live in a big city, for instance, you should realize that many people who grew up in the country have never ridden a subway, walked to school, ridden in a taxi, or walked to a store a few blocks away.
On the other hand, if you grew up in the country you should consider that many people who grew up in the suburbs or inner city have never eaten food straight from a garden, camped in their backyards, fed chickens on a working farm, watched their parents canning food, or been to a county fair or a small-town festival.
Something about your childhood will always seem unique to others. You just have to step outside your life for a moment and address the readers as if they knew nothing about your region and culture. Pick moments that will best illustrate the goal of your narrative, and symbolism within your life.
Consider Your Culture
Your culture is your overall way of life , including the customs that come from your family's values and beliefs. Culture includes the holidays you observe, the customs you practice, the foods you eat, the clothes you wear, the games you play, the special phrases you use, the language you speak, and the rituals you practice.
As you write your autobiography, think about the ways that your family celebrated or observed certain days, events, and months, and tell your audience about special moments. Consider these questions:
- What was the most special gift you ever received? What was the event or occasion surrounding that gift?
- Is there a certain food that you identify with a certain day of the year?
- Is there an outfit that you wear only during a special event?
Think honestly about your experiences, too. Don't just focus on the best parts of your memories; think about the details within those times. While Christmas morning may be a magical memory, you might also consider the scene around you. Include details like your mother making breakfast, your father spilling his coffee, someone upset over relatives coming into town, and other small details like that. Understanding the full experience of positives and negatives helps you paint a better picture for the reader and lead to a stronger and more interesting narrative. Learn to tie together all the interesting elements of your life story and craft them into an engaging essay.
Establish the Theme
Once you have taken a look at your own life from an outsider’s point of view, you will be able to select the most interesting elements from your notes to establish a theme. What was the most interesting thing you came up with in your research? Was it the history of your family and your region? Here is an example of how you can turn that into a theme:
"Today, the plains and low hills of southeastern Ohio make the perfect setting for large cracker box-shaped farmhouses surrounded by miles of corn rows. Many of the farming families in this region descended from the Irish settlers who came rolling in on covered wagons in the 1830s to find work building canals and railways. My ancestors were among those settlers."
A little bit of research can make your own personal story come to life as a part of history, and historical details can help a reader better understand your unique situation. In the body of your narrative, you can explain how your family’s favorite meals, holiday celebrations, and work habits relate to Ohio history.
One Day as a Theme
You also can take an ordinary day in your life and turn it into a theme. Think about the routines you followed as a child and as an adult. Even a mundane activity like household chores can be a source of inspiration.
For example, if you grew up on a farm, you know the difference between the smell of hay and wheat, and certainly that of pig manure and cow manure—because you had to shovel one or all of these at some point. City people probably don’t even know there is a difference. Describing the subtle differences of each and comparing the scents to other scents can help the reader imagine the situation more clearly.
If you grew up in the city, you how the personality of the city changes from day to night because you probably had to walk to most places. You know the electricity-charged atmosphere of the daylight hours when the streets bustle with people and the mystery of the night when the shops are closed and the streets are quiet.
Think about the smells and sounds you experienced as you went through an ordinary day and explain how that day relates to your life experience in your county or your city:
"Most people don’t think of spiders when they bite into a tomato, but I do. Growing up in southern Ohio, I spent many summer afternoons picking baskets of tomatoes that would be canned or frozen and preserved for cold winter’s dinners. I loved the results of my labors, but I’ll never forget the sight of the enormous, black and white, scary-looking spiders that lived in the plants and created zigzag designs on their webs. In fact, those spiders, with their artistic web creations, inspired my interest in bugs and shaped my career in science."
One Event as a Theme
Perhaps one event or one day of your life made such a big impact that it could be used as a theme. The end or beginning of the life of another can affect our thoughts and actions for a long time:
"I was 12 years old when my mother passed away. By the time I was 15, I had become an expert in dodging bill collectors, recycling hand-me-down jeans, and stretching a single meal’s worth of ground beef into two family dinners. Although I was a child when I lost my mother, I was never able to mourn or to let myself become too absorbed in thoughts of personal loss. The fortitude I developed at a young age was the driving force that would see me through many other challenges."
Writing the Essay
Whether you determine that your life story is best summed up by a single event, a single characteristic, or a single day, you can use that one element as a theme . You will define this theme in your introductory paragraph .
Create an outline with several events or activities that relate back to your central theme and turn those into subtopics (body paragraphs) of your story. Finally, tie up all your experiences in a summary that restates and explains the overriding theme of your life.
- Revising a Paper
- What Is a Bibliography?
- How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
- Et Al. Meaning and How to Use It
- 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
- Words, Phrases, and Arguments to Use in Persuasive Writing
- The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right
- How to Find Trustworthy Sources
- Research Paper Writing Checklist
- How Long Should My Paper Be?
- How Can You Stretch a Paper to Make it Longer?
- How to Write a News Article That's Effective
- Writing an Annotated Bibliography for a Paper
- When to Cite a Source in a Paper
- Convince Me: A Persuasive Writing Activity
- Finding Trustworthy Sources
- Dictionaries home
- American English
- Collocations
- German-English
- Grammar home
- Practical English Usage
- Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
- Word Lists home
- My Word Lists
- Recent additions
- Resources home
- Text Checker
Definition of autobiography noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
autobiography
- In his autobiography, he recalls the poverty he grew up in.
- in an/the autobiography
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
autobiography, the biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Autobiographical works can take many forms, from the intimate writings made during life that were not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to a formal book-length autobiography. Formal autobiographies offer a special ...
Analyze the differences: biography vs autobiography. Includes descriptions & examples of each. We've even highlighted key differences for easy reference.
A biography doesn't have the self-serving incentive of an autobiography. So, a biography is often more trustworthy, but we still need to examine the incentives of the actual author (Jones, 2015). 3. Comprehensive account of an individual's life. A biography covers all the significant aspects of the person's life.
The meaning of AUTOBIOGRAPHY is the biography of a person narrated by that person : a usually written account of a person's life in their own words. How to use autobiography in a sentence.
Definition of Autobiography. An autobiography is the life sketch of a person written by that person himself or herself. The word auto means 'self.' Therefore, autobiography contains all the elements of a biography but composed or narrated by the author himself. He/She may write on their own or may hire ghostwriters to write for them.
Here are a few other key differences between the two genres: 1. Different perspectives. Naturally, an autobiography is written from the first-person perspective, which means the author is providing a personalized point of view on their own life. Meanwhile, a biography is written from a third-person perspective, meaning the author is writing ...
Definition of Autobiography Autobiography is one type of biography , which tells the life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the author's life. Rather than being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the person's own pen, in his own words.
Definition & Examples. I. What is Autobiography? An autobiography is a self-written life story. It is different from a biography, which is the life story of a person written by someone else. Some people may have their life story written by another person because they don't believe they can write well, but they are still considered an author ...
An autobiography, [a] sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written biography of one's own life. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English periodical The Monthly Review , when he suggested the word as a hybrid, but condemned it as "pedantic".
AUTOBIOGRAPHY definition: 1. a book about a person's life, written by that person: 2. the area of literature relating to…. Learn more.
- "An autobiography is the story of a life: the name implies that the writer will somehow attempt to capture all the essential elements of that life. A writer's autobiography, for example, is not expected to deal merely with the author's growth and career as a writer but also with the facts and emotions connected to family life, education ...
Autobiography Definition. An autobiography (awe-tow-bye-AWE-gruh-fee) is a self-written biography. The author writes about all or a portion of their own life to share their experience, frame it in a larger cultural or historical context, and/or inform and entertain the reader. Autobiographies have been a popular literary genre for centuries.
Differences between biography and autobiography. Main differences between biography and autobiography are: Biography: Anyone can write a biography of someone. A biography book is often considered less accurate because someone else writes about another person. Permissions are necessary to write a biography about someone.
For the full article, see autobiography. autobiography, Biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Little autobiographical literature exists from antiquity and the Middle Ages; with a handful of exceptions, the form begins to appear only in the 15th century. Autobiographical works take many forms, from intimate writings made during life that are ...
Autobiography definition: a history of a person's life written or told by that person.. See examples of AUTOBIOGRAPHY used in a sentence.
What is an autobiography? It's a firsthand recounting of an author's own life. So, if you were to write an autobiography, you would be writing a true retelling of your own life events. Autobiography cannot be bound to only one type of work. What an autobiography is has more to do with the contents than the format.
Autobiography Definition, Examples, and Writing Guide. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Aug 26, 2022 • 6 min read. As a firsthand account of the author's own life, an autobiography offers readers an unmatched level of intimacy. Learn how to write your first autobiography with examples from MasterClass instructors.
The word autobiography literally means SELF (auto), LIFE (bio), WRITING (graph). Or, in other words, an autobiography is the story of someone's life written or otherwise told by that person. When writing your autobiography, find out what makes your family or your experience unique and build a narrative around that.
Definition of autobiography noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. ... the story of a person's life, written by that person; this type of writing. In his autobiography, he recalls the poverty he grew up in. compare biography Topics Literature and writing b2. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verb + autobiography. pen;
A biography is an account of a person's life, written by someone else. An autobiography is an account of a person's life, written by that person. A memoir is a special type of autobiography in which the person writes about a specific part of their life. This guide was designed to help you find both biographical and autobiographical information ...
Biography, autobiography, and memoir are the three main forms used to tell the story of a person's life. Though there are similarities between these forms, they have distinct differences in terms of the writing, style, and purpose. A biography is an informational narrative and account of the life history of an individual person, written by someone who is not the subject of the biography.
The etymology of the word autobiography is made up of three Greek root words: "auto," meaning self; "bio," meaning life; and "graph" meaning write. ... personal journals, photos, reference books, newspapers, and digital media. The word biography has the same roots as autobiography but without the "auto" prefix. What is an ...