Definition

1. Noun:
   • A written account of someone's life: A "biography" is a detailed description or story of a person's life, written by another person. It covers the series of events, experiences, and achievements that make up that individual's life.

Usage

• A "biography" is a non-fiction genre. It is typically a book but can also be a shorter essay or article.
• It is written in the third person (using "he," "she," or "they") by a biographer, who researches the subject's life.
• It is distinct from an "autobiography," which is an account of a person's life written by that person themselves.

Examples

• Noun:
  • I just finished reading a fascinating biography of Marie Curie.
  • The library has an entire section dedicated to presidential biographies.
  • He is working on a new biography of the famous artist.

Advanced Usage

• "Authorized biography": A biography written with the permission, cooperation, and sometimes input of the subject or the subject's estate.
  • The authorized biography provided many private letters and photographs.
• "Definitive biography": A biography considered to be the most complete and authoritative account of a person's life.
  • This 800-page work is regarded as the definitive biography of Winston Churchill.

Variants and Related Words

• Biographer (n): A person who writes a biography.
  • The biographer spent ten years researching her subject.
• Biographical (adj): Relating to the facts and events of a person's life.
  • The novel includes many biographical details from the author's own childhood.
• Autobiography (n): An account of a person's life written by that person.
  • In her autobiography, she describes her journey to success.

Synonyms

• Life story: A narrative of the events of a person's life.
• Life history: A record of the events and circumstances of a person's life.
• Memoir (Note: A memoir is often a subset of autobiography, focusing on specific aspects or periods of the writer's life rather than the full life story).

Related Phrases

• To write a biography of: To author an account of someone's life.
  • She plans to write a biography of her grandfather, who was a war hero.
• Biographical film/drama (often shortened to "biopic"): A movie that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional person.
  • The biopic about the singer won several awards.

Noun

1. an account of the series of events making up a person's life