Autobiography
A narrative of a person’s life written by that person themselves.
nounAutobiography
A narrative of a person’s life written by that person themselves.
nounImagine This
Imagine a writer at a quiet desk, surrounded by old photos and a microphone for an audiobook. They begin to tell their life story in the first person, and as they speak, a manuscript fills with memories from childhood to adulthood.
Sounds Like
aw-tuh-by-OG-ruh-fee
Looks Like
auto + bio + graphy (self + life + writing); resembles 'biography' but self-authored
Remember This
Autobiography is a self-authored life story. It differs from a biography (written by someone else) and from a memoir (a focused personal recollection rather than a complete life).
Other Forms
Connect With
biography, memoir, diary, life story, personal narrative, self-portrait
Note
Be careful not to confuse autobiography with autobiographical (the adjective) or with memoirs or biographies. Use autobiography for the noun referring to the full self-written life story.