biography

noun

bi·​og·​ra·​phy bī-ˈä-grə-fē How to pronounce biography (audio)
 also  bē-
plural biographies
1
: a usually written history of a person's life
a new biography of Abraham Lincoln
2
: biographical writings as a whole
the genre of biography
3
: an account of the life of something (such as an animal, a coin, or a building)
the biography of the commonwealth

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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

a new biography of Abraham Lincoln an unauthorized biography of the actor gave him some serious headaches
Recent Examples on the Web In addition to producing big- and small-screen projects, Weinstein held executive positions at various Hollywood institutions, according to a biography provided by her representative. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 According to a biography posted online by Spieker Senior Development Partners, Currie worked in the continuing care retirement community field, owning several projects. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for biography 

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

Etymology

Late Greek biographia, from Greek bi- + -graphia -graphy

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of biography was in 1665

Dictionary Entries Near biography

Cite this Entry

“Biography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biography. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

biography

noun
bi·​og·​ra·​phy bī-ˈäg-rə-fē How to pronounce biography (audio)
bē-
plural biographies
: a history of a person's life
biographer
-fər
noun
biographical
ˌbī-ə-ˈgraf-i-kəl
adjective
biographically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on biography

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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