1
: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction
a self-taught musician
2
: learned by oneself
self-taught knowledge

Examples of self-taught in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All are self-taught and create everything from playful reproductions of mundane household staples (such as cereal boxes and telephones) to functional décor like vases and frames. Alexa Brazilian, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Jay Lee was similarly self-taught, having picked up their father’s guitar after leaving school at 15. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 List out all of your skills, even ones that are self-taught or came naturally — e.g., programming languages, administrative software (Microsoft Office, Google Docs), social media or Internet research including AI. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Coming from illiterate parents, Woodson was largely self-taught in his education and didn’t begin high school until 20-years-old. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Feb. 2024 Unlike many of her contemporaries making waves in Mexican cinema today, Avilés is self-taught and never went to film school. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024 While this may be Ando and Armani’s inaugural residential venture as a team, the two have had a working relationship since 2001, when the Italian luxury fashion house commissioned the innovative (and self-taught) Japanese architect to create the Armani/Teatro in Milan. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2024 Nuttall was self-taught in what was then a new field of study that employed few women, and her contributions have been largely forgotten. David Conrads, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023 Muhammed is largely self-taught but also spent some time being professionally trained. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-taught.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-taught was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near self-taught

Cite this Entry

“Self-taught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-taught. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-taught

adjective
ˈself-ˈtȯt
1
: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction
a self-taught musician
2
: learned by oneself
self-taught knowledge

More from Merriam-Webster on self-taught

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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