ENGLISH
REFERENCE

autobiography

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US //ˌɔtəbaɪˈɑɡɹəfi// UK //ˌɔːtəʊbaɪˈɒɡɹəfi// au·to·bi·og·ra·phy

n. a book that someone writes about their own life. It tells the story of what they have done and experienced from their own point of view.

n. a written account of a person's life composed by that individual. Often contrasted with biography, where the subject and author are different people.


SIMPLE

She is writing her autobiography to share her life story.

CONTEXTUAL

The retired athlete's autobiography became a bestseller because it revealed the struggles he faced behind the scenes.

COMPLEX

In her candid autobiography, the former prime minister reflects on the difficult decisions she made during the war and how they shaped her political legacy.

Origin

From auto- + biography.

Usage

Countable when referring to a specific book; uncountable when referring to the genre of writing.

Pitfall

the autobiography of his lifehis autobiographyAn autobiography is by definition about the author's life, so adding 'of his life' is redundant.

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