biography
noun
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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
Esther K. Choy, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
In an early 1940s scene from The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power, the first book of Robert Caro’s four-volume (so far) biography about the late president, the then-House member vents frustration early at the chamber’s strict seniority system.
—David Mark, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
His mother, Ruby Ayers, was a piano instructor, while his father, Roy Sr., was a trombonist, according to a biography on his website.
—Karina Tsui, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Not the Sinatra biography that Xavier picks up first, but the Peter Lawford biography, The Man Who Kept All the Secrets, sitting next to it.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biography
Cite this Entry
“Biography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biography. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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biography
noun
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