ENGLISH
REFERENCE

biography

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //baɪˈɑɡɹəfi// UK //baɪˈɒɡɹəfi// bi·og·ra·phy

n. the story of a person's life written by someone else. You read this to learn about the real experiences and achievements of a famous or interesting person.

n. an account of a person's life written by another individual. Often contrasted with autobiography, where the subject is also the author.


SIMPLE

I am reading a biography of Steve Jobs.

CONTEXTUAL

The historian spent five years researching the president's early life for her upcoming biography.

COMPLEX

While a hagiography seeks to praise its subject, a critical biography examines both the triumphs and the moral failings of the individual in question.

Synonyms
Origin

From New Latin biographia, formed from Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”).

Usage

Often takes the preposition 'of' to indicate the subject.

Pitfall

I wrote my biographyI wrote my autobiographyA biography is written by someone else; a book you write about your own life is an autobiography.

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