biography

UK: baɪˈɒɡrəfi | US: baɪˈɑːɡrəfi

Definition

  1. n. a written account of someone's life, composed by another person

  2. n. the genre of literature comprising such works

Structure
bio <life, from Greek bios>graph <write, from Greek graphein>y <noun suffix>
Etymology

The word "biography" originates from Greek components: "bios" (life) and "graphein" (to write), combined through Late Latin "biographia." It entered English in the 17th century, reflecting the Renaissance revival of classical learning. The morphemes preserve their original meanings—"bio" as "life" and "graph" as "writing"—making the compound logically mean "life-writing." The suffix "-y" nominalizes the term, standardizing it as a literary genre.

Examples

  1. Her biography of the scientist revealed previously unknown details about his early years.

  2. The library has a dedicated section for biographies of historical figures.

  3. Writing a biography requires thorough research and interviews.

  4. Critics praised the biography for its balanced portrayal of the artist's struggles.

  5. He prefers reading biographies over fiction to learn from real-life experiences.