English Reference
Adjective

autobiographical

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈɡɹæfɪkəɫ/ UK /ˌɔːtəʊbˌaɪəɡɹˈæfɪkəl/ au·to·bi·o·graph·i·cal

adj.describing a story or book that a person writes about their own life. It means the author is sharing their real experiences and memories.

adj.relating to or based on the author's own life experiences. Often used to describe literary works or films where the narrative closely mirrors the creator's personal history.


SIMPLE

She wrote an autobiographical novel about her childhood.

CONTEXTUAL

Many readers wonder how much of the protagonist's struggle is truly autobiographical and how much is fiction.

COMPLEX

The director's latest film is deeply autobiographical, drawing on his formative years in post-war Italy to explore themes of displacement and artistic awakening.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun; often modified by adverbs like 'largely', 'partly', or 'deeply'.

It adds up to nothing more, nor less, than a divertingly dotty autobiographical standup hour.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

Much of the narrative, as Crooks notes in the acknowledgments, is autobiographical.

The Guardian· 6 Aug 2026

From autobiography + -ical or auto- + biographical.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated