autobiography Definition
an account of a person's life written by that person.
Using autobiography: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "autobiography" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' is a famous autobiography.
Example
Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' is an inspiring autobiography.
Example
Benjamin Franklin's 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' is a classic of American literature.
autobiography Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for autobiography
- memoir
- life story
- personal history
Phrases with autobiography
an autobiography written by someone other than the person it is about, often with the credited author's name on the cover
Example
Many celebrity autobiographies are actually ghostwritten.
an autobiography that includes fictional elements or events
Example
James Frey's 'A Million Little Pieces' was marketed as a memoir but later revealed to be a fictionalized autobiography.
autobiographical novel
a novel that is based on the author's life but includes fictional elements or events
Example
Sylvia Plath's 'The Bell Jar' is an autobiographical novel.
Origins of autobiography
from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', 'bios' meaning 'life', and 'graphein' meaning 'to write'
Summary: autobiography in Brief
An 'autobiography' [ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi] is a book written by a person about their own life. It is typically non-fiction and provides a first-person account of the author's experiences. Examples include 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou and 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.' Variations include ghostwritten autobiographies, which are written by someone else, and fictionalized autobiographies, which include fictional elements or events.
