Biography Definition, Usage & Examples Explained

Meaning 1：written life story (biography)

biography 🔊

/baɪˈɒɡ.rə.fi/

a book that tells the true story of someone's life, written by another person.

Biography definition illustrated: person reading a life story book in a library

written life story 🔊

➕

/ˈrɪt.ən ˈlaɪf ˈstɔː.ri/

A detailed, non-fictional account of a person's life, authored by someone else.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'bios' (life) + 'graphia' (writing) = writing about life.

💡 Mnemonic

A BIO logist studies life; a bio-GRAPHer writes about a life story.

📖 Example

My grandma's favorite biography is about a scientist who never gave up on his dreams. 🔊 My grandmother most enjoys reading life stories about persevering scientists.

🔗 Collocations

authorized biography – A life story written with the subject's official permission and cooperation.

definitive biography – The most complete and authoritative account of a person's life.

biography section – The area in a bookstore or library dedicated to life stories.

🔄 Synonyms

life story (n.) – A general term for an account of a person's life.

memoir (n.) – Often focuses on specific aspects or periods of the writer's own life.

🌱 Derivatives

biographer (n.) – A person who writes biographies.

biographical (adj.) – Relating to the details of a person's life.

autobiography (n.) – An account of a person's life written by that person.

📖 Cultural Story

The word combines Greek elements for 'life' and 'writing'. The genre flourished with works like Plutarch's 'Parallel Lives'. Modern biographies balance factual detail with narrative, shaping public understanding of historical figures.