self-taught
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having learned a subject or skill without formal instruction: "self-taught" describes a person who has acquired knowledge or ability through their own efforts, rather than through a teacher or formal educational system.
Usage Examples
- (He learned to play music entirely on his own.)
- (They achieved mastery without formal training.)
- (She learned coding through personal study.)
Advanced Usage
"self-taught in": used to specify the field of self-education.
- He is self-taught in ancient languages, including Latin and Greek. (He learned these languages without a teacher.)
"self-taught expert": a person who becomes highly knowledgeable in a field through self-study.
- Despite being a self-taught expert in botany, she lacks a formal degree. (She has deep knowledge but no official certification.)
Variants and Related Words
Self-teaching (n): the process of learning without a teacher.
- Self-teaching requires strong discipline and motivation. (The act of learning independently.)
Self-education (n): the act of educating oneself.
- His self-education included reading hundreds of books on history. (Learning through personal effort.)
Synonyms
- Autodidactic: relating to or being a self-taught person.
- Self-instructed: having learned by oneself.
- Self-learned: acquired knowledge through one's own efforts.
Related Idioms
To teach oneself: to learn without formal instruction.
- She taught herself to play the piano. (She learned through personal practice.)
To be a self-starter: to be able to initiate and complete tasks without supervision.
- He is a self-starter who learned coding on his own. (He is proactive and independent in learning.)