WORD OF THE DAY: Autodidact
[aw-toh-DIE-dakt]
Part of speech: Noun
Origin: Greek, late 18th century
Definitions: A self-taught person; a person who learned through methods outside of formal education
Examples of Autodidact in a sentence
“He loves being homeschooled and proudly calls himself an autodidact.”
“Thanks to unlimited how-to videos and courses on the internet, anyone can be an autodidact.”
About Autodidact
An autodidact is a self-taught person who hasn’t received any formal education or training in their chosen skill or field (although, to be fair, you could have a college degree in economics, but be an autodidact when it comes to the guitar). Anyone who has learned a topic or skill outside of a formal education environment is an autodidact. You’re an autodidact just by learning new vocabulary!
Did you Know?
Anyone who has learned outside of formal education can be considered an autodidact, including some of history’s most famous writers, musicians, and artists. William Faulkner dropped out of college and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Keith Moon, the drummer in The Who, taught himself how to bang the drums. David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, and Jimi Hendrix all taught themselves to play the guitar. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright never received a college degree.
