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Definition of biography
Did you know.
So You've Been Asked to Submit a Biography
In a library, the word biography refers both to a kind of book and to a section where books of that kind are found. Each biography tells the story of a real person's life. A biography may be about someone who lived long ago, recently, or even someone who is still living, though in the last case it must necessarily be incomplete. The term autobiography refers to a biography written by the person it's about. Autobiographies are of course also necessarily incomplete.
Sometimes biographies are significantly shorter than a book—something anyone who's been asked to submit a biography for, say, a conference or a community newsletter will be glad to know. Often the word in these contexts is shortened to bio , a term that can be both a synonym of biography and a term for what is actually a biographical sketch: a brief description of a person's life. These kinds of biographies—bios—vary, but many times they are only a few sentences long. Looking at bios that have been used in the same context can be a useful guide in determining what to put in your own.
Examples of biography in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Late Greek biographia , from Greek bi- + -graphia -graphy
1665, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near biography
biographize
Cite this Entry
“Biography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biography. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of biography, more from merriam-webster on biography.
Nglish: Translation of biography for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of biography for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about biography
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[ bahy- og -r uh -fee , bee- ]
the biography of Byron by Marchand.
- an account in biographical form of an organization, society, theater, animal, etc.
- such writings collectively.
- the writing of biography as an occupation or field of endeavor.
/ baɪˈɒɡrəfɪ; ˌbaɪəˈɡræfɪkəl /
- an account of a person's life by another
- such accounts collectively
- The story of someone's life. The Life of Samuel Johnson , by James Boswell , and Abraham Lincoln , by Carl Sandburg , are two noted biographies. The story of the writer's own life is an autobiography .
Derived Forms
- biˈographer , noun
- biographical , adjective
- ˌbioˈgraphically , adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of biography 1
Example Sentences
Barrett didn’t say anything on Tuesday to contradict our understanding of her ideological leanings based on her past rulings, past statements and biography.
Republicans, meanwhile, focused mostly on her biography — including her role as a working mother of seven and her Catholic faith — and her credentials, while offering few specifics about her record as a law professor and judge.
She delivered an inspiring biography at one point, reflecting on the sacrifice her mother made to emigrate to the United States.
As Walter Isaacson pointed out in his biography of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin proposed the postal system as a vital network to bond together the 13 disparate colonies.
Serving that end, the book is not an in-depth biography as much as a summary of Galileo’s life and science, plus a thorough recounting of the events leading up to his famous trial.
The Amazon biography for an author named Papa Faal mentions both Gambia and lists a military record that matches the FBI report.
For those unfamiliar with Michals, an annotated biography and useful essays are included.
Did you envision your Pryor biography as extending your previous investigation—aesthetically and historically?
But Stephen Kotkin's new biography reveals a learned despot who acted cunningly to take advantage of the times.
Watching novelists insult one another is one of the primary pleasures of his biography.
He also published two volumes of American Biography, a work which his death abridged.
Mme. de Chaulieu gave her husband the three children designated in the duc's biography.
The biography of great men always has been, and always will be read with interest and profit.
I like biography far better than fiction myself: fiction is too free.
The Bookman: "A more entertaining narrative whether in biography or fiction has not appeared in recent years."
Related Words
- autobiography
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biographical adjective
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What does the adjective biographical mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective biographical . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the adjective biographical ?
| 1750 | 0.21 |
| 1760 | 0.28 |
| 1770 | 0.52 |
| 1780 | 0.92 |
| 1790 | 1.5 |
| 1800 | 2.0 |
| 1810 | 2.2 |
| 1820 | 2.4 |
| 1830 | 2.4 |
| 1840 | 2.5 |
| 1850 | 2.5 |
| 1860 | 2.6 |
| 1870 | 2.7 |
| 1880 | 3.0 |
| 1890 | 3.3 |
| 1900 | 3.2 |
| 1910 | 3.2 |
| 1920 | 3.4 |
| 1930 | 3.7 |
| 1940 | 4.2 |
| 1950 | 4.5 |
| 1960 | 4.9 |
| 1970 | 5.0 |
| 1980 | 5.0 |
| 1990 | 4.6 |
| 2000 | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 4.0 |
How is the adjective biographical pronounced?
British english, u.s. english, where does the adjective biographical come from.
Earliest known use
The earliest known use of the adjective biographical is in the mid 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for biographical is from 1668, in the writing of F. B. Hough.
biographical is apparently formed within English, by compounding; modelled on a Latin lexical item.
Etymons: bio- comb. form , ‑graphical comb. form .
Nearby entries
- biogeography, n. 1892–
- biogeology, n. 1870–
- biogerontology, n. 1978–
- bioglass, n. 1973–
- biognosy, n. 1880
- biograph, n. 1825–
- biograph, v. 1776–
- biographee, n. 1812–
- biographer, n. 1644–
- biographic, adj. 1752–
- biographical, adj. 1668–
- biographically, adv. ?1719–
- biographist, n. a1661–
- biographize, v. 1793–
- biography, n. 1661–
- biography, v. 1794–
- biographying, n. 1858–
- biohacker, n. 1988–
- biohacking, n. 1992–
- biohazard, n. 1965–
- biohazardous, adj. 1973–
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Meaning & use
Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for biographical, adj..
biographical, adj. was revised in November 2010.
biographical, adj. was last modified in July 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into biographical, adj. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1887)
- Find out more
OED Second Edition (1989)
- View biographical, a. in OED Second Edition
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Citation details
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The meaning of BIOGRAPHY is a usually written history of a person's life. How to use biography in a sentence. So You've Been Asked to Submit a Biography
BIOGRAPHY definition: 1. the life story of a person written by someone else: 2. the life story of a person written by…. Learn more.
Biography definition: a written account of another person's life. See examples of BIOGRAPHY used in a sentence.
BIOGRAPHY meaning: 1. the life story of a person written by someone else: 2. the life story of a person written by…. Learn more.
BIOGRAPHY meaning: 1. the story of a person's life written by another person 2. about someone's life: . Learn more.
biography meaning, definition, what is biography: a book that tells what has happened in s...: Learn more. English. English English - Japanese English - Korean English - Spanish Japanese - English Spanish - English ... AL literature that consists of biographies → autobiography — biographical / ˌbaɪəˈɡræfɪk ə l / adjective ...
the story of a person's life written by somebody else; this type of writing. Boswell's biography of Johnson; a biography by Antonia Fraser; The book gives potted biographies of all the major painters.
Definition of biography noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... adjective See biography in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Check pronunciation: biography. Nearby words. biogas noun; biographer noun; biography noun;
biography in American English. (baiˈɑɡrəfi, bi-) noun Word forms: plural -phies. 1. a written account of another person's life. the biography of Byron by Marchand. 2. an account in biographical form of an organization, society, theater, animal, etc. 3.
A biography is an account of somebody's life written by somebody else, complete with details of the most important parts.
What does the noun biography mean? There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun biography. See 'Meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. See meaning & use. How common is the noun biography? About 10 occurrences per million words in modern written English . 1750: 0.57: 1760: 0.32: 1770: 0.36: 1780:
The earliest known use of the adjective biographical is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for biographical is from 1668, in the writing of F. B. Hough. biographical is apparently formed within English, by compounding; modelled on a Latin lexical item.
Find 358 synonyms for biography and other similar words that you can use instead based on 5 separate contexts from our thesaurus. ... definition. past life. self-portrayal. portraiture. career to date. narration. personal life. relation. ... What is the adjective for biography? What is the noun for biography? Translations for biography Use our ...
SYNONYMS OF «BIOGRAPHY». The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «biography» and belong to the same grammatical category. synonyms of biography. account · curriculum vitae · life · life history · life story · memoir · profile · record.
Definition of biographical adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
If you're reading a biography of Margaret Mead, you might enjoy learning biographical details, like that she was the oldest of five children. ... adjective. of or relating to or being biography ... Then review these words from the Greek root bio, meaning "life" or "way of living." Literary Terms, Grade 6, Unit 1. List 6. Learn these challenging ...
Definition of biography noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Toggle navigation
2 meanings: 1. an account of a person's life by another 2. such accounts collectively.... Click for more definitions.
(Adjective) biographical; Words Related to Biography Related words are words that are directly connected to each other through their meaning, even if they are not synonyms or antonyms. This connection may be general or specific, or the words may appear frequently together. ... The standard biography is that by John Morley (1881).
BIOGRAPHIC meaning: 1. relating to the events of a person's life or to biography (= writing that tells the story of…. Learn more.
of or relating to or being biography. SKIP TO CONTENT. ... Definitions of biographic. adjective. of or relating to or being biography. synonyms: biographical. Cite this entry. Style: MLA. MLA; APA; Chicago; Copy citation. DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word 'biographic'.
BIOGRAPHY definition: 1. the story of a person's life written by another person 2. about someone's life: . Learn more.
BIOGRAPHY definition: 1. the story of a person's life written by another person 2. about someone's life: . Learn more.