autobiographical
autobiographical — adjective
- autobiographicalpositive
- more autobiographicalcomparative
- most autobiographicalsuperlative
1. describing a fictional work — such as a novel, film, or play — whose characters,
describing a fictional work — such as a novel, film, or play — whose characters, emotional conflicts, or settings are based on the creator's real-life experiences, even though names and events may be changed for the story.
Many readers assumed the novel was purely invented, but the author later confirmed it was largely autobiographical.
largely autobiographical
Chidi poured his childhood memories into an autobiographical play about growing up in Lagos.
Although she changed all the character names, Neha admitted her debut film was deeply autobiographical.
The painter's most moving works are autobiographical, reflecting the grief she felt after losing her mother.
It is a deeply autobiographical novel, drawing on events from the writer's own childhood in rural Japan.
- personal
broader and less formal; can describe any intimate or private material, not necessarily a creative work
- firsthand
emphasises direct experience rather than second-hand knowledge; often used for accounts and reports
- confessional
suggests a revealing, emotionally open tone; narrower and more intense than autobiographical
用法筆記
Often found before nouns such as novel, film, play, or song whose plot or characters come from the author's own life. Intensifying adverbs are common: highly autobiographical, deeply autobiographical, partly autobiographical.
常見錯誤
2. describing a non-fiction narrative — such as an essay, a memoir, or a diary — th
describing a non-fiction narrative — such as an essay, a memoir, or a diary — that is written in the first person as a chronological account of the author's own life, following the conventions of the autobiography genre.
The Watanabe family patriarch wrote an autobiographical narrative covering his childhood in Kyoto, his years abroad, and his return to Japan.
autobiographical narrative
Samira published an autobiographical essay tracing her journey from a street vendor in Nairobi to a university lecturer in Dar es Salaam.
autobiographical essay
In his autobiographical memoir, the former diplomat describes tense negotiations that took place behind closed doors in Geneva.
Folami's autobiographical account opens with the typhoon that destroyed her village and follows her family's resettlement.
The final section of the book is an autobiographical reflection on how the author's childhood shaped his later career choices.
- memoiristic
less common and specifically about memoir-writing rather than full autobiography
- biographical
wider in scope — can describe an account of another person's life, not just the author's
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 1 (ABOUT AUTHOR'S LIFE): this sense concerns works that ARE autobiographies (factual first-person chronological accounts). Sense 1 concerns fictional works whose INSPIRATION comes from the author's life. A work may be autobiographical in both senses — e.g. an autobiographical novel — but the two dimensions (content origin vs. generic form) are distinct.