autobiographical

adjective

au·​to·​bio·​graph·​i·​cal ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce autobiographical (audio)
-bē-
variants or less commonly autobiographic
1
a
: of, relating to, or being an autobiography
an autobiographical essay/book/novel
… the television studios began to buy the film and broadcast rights to biographical and autobiographical narratives as fast as they bought the rights to fictional ones.Nigel Hamilton
In recounting the exploits of some half-dozen Soviet spies, the author synthesizes much autobiographical and historical material.Harry Howe Ransom
This heart-wrenching, autobiographical account of Burch's childhood between ages 8 and 11 has the power of a Dickens novel.Booklist
b
: in the style of or based on an autobiography
Made for a pittance by the then-unknown [Martin] Scorsese, this autobiographical film about his Italian-Catholic boyhood was shot in Hollywood and on location in New York City's Little Italy.Robert F. Moss
2
a
: of, relating to, or influenced by one's life or past personal experiences
… so much of Wyeth's art is autobiographical, that is, stimulated and conditioned by deep personal responses to locations or people, …John Wilmerding
… ask her for too many autobiographical details and she begs off, insisting that her days are too ordinary for words.Jeff Giles
b
: of, relating, or being memory of personally experienced events in the past
Autobiographical memory, that is, memory for personally experienced past events, is central to human functioning, as it is of fundamental significance for the individual's sense of self and goal orientation.Elise Debeer et al.
autobiographically adverb
The male coming-of-age story, by contrast, has been plundered relentlessly. D. H. Lawrence, Tobias Wolff, J. D. Salinger and Ernest Hemingway have written autobiographically. Courtney Weaver
She speaks here for the first time autobiographically, having dictated this memoir in the final months of her life. Francis Mason

Examples of autobiographical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But her assignment takes a dark turn after discovering chilling autobiographical notes. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025 In 2024, parts of her life were depicted in the autobiographical motion picture The Fire Inside, directed by Rachel Morrison, starring Ryan Destiny, and screen-written and produced by Barry Jenkins. Lydia T. Blanco, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 Lesage, who is in his late forties, has often gravitated toward turbulent tales of youth, rooted in autobiographical inspirations. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025 Well, spoiler alert, the answer is Eugene O’Neill, who died in 1941, and his autobiographical play is set more than a century ago — in 1912, to be exact. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for autobiographical

Word History

Etymology

autobiography + -ical, after biographical

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of autobiographical was in 1807

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Cite this Entry

“Autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autobiographical. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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