Word
biography
Phoneticsbi·og·ra·phy, stress on the second syllable
US/baɪˈɑɡɹəfi/
UK/baɪˈɒɡɹəfi/
Definitions
01a life story
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a book or story that tells the true facts about a person's life.
n. a written account of another person's life, typically published as a book or article.
Español:biografía
“I just finished reading a fascinating biography of Steve Jobs.”
“The historian spent five years researching the definitive biography of the queen, uncovering letters that had never been seen by the public.”
Pitfall
He wrote his biography when he was eighty.
He wrote his autobiography when he was eighty.
A biography is written by someone else; an autobiography is written by the person themselves.
Antonyms
02the genre of writing
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. the art or business of writing about people's lives.
n. the branch of literature or the professional practice concerned with the lives of individuals.
“She is a professor who specialises in eighteenth-century biography.”
“Modern biography has shifted away from simple praise toward a more critical analysis of a subject's psychological motivations.”
Synonyms
03to write a life story
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Literary
v. to write the story of someone's life.
v. to write a biography of a specific person. This transitive use is less common than the noun form.
“The author was asked to biography the late prime minister.”
“Few writers have attempted to biography such a reclusive figure, given the lack of primary source material available to the public.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “biography” in context.
Verb
01. commission a biography
“The family decided to commission a biography to preserve their ancestor's legacy.”
verb + noun
02. pen a biography
“The historian spent ten years researching before he began to pen a biography of the explorer.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. definitive biography
“This book is widely considered the definitive biography of the late prime minister.”
adj + noun
04. unauthorized biography
“The celebrity was furious about the claims made in the unauthorized biography.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. subject of a biography
“She was surprised to find herself the subject of a biography written by a former colleague.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
06. in a biography
“The details of his early childhood were first revealed in a biography published last year.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“When Overton sought permission to write Berger’s biography, though, the critic insisted that he wait a few years.” “What our reviewer said “His exuberant biography is thick with detail and lit by wonder.” Etymology
From New Latin biographia, formed from Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/biography
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0