Words / C2

ORT-ohd-id-akt/ˈɔːtəʊdɪdækt/

An autodidact is a person who is self-taught: a brilliant autodidact, autodidact in statistics. Amateur (already in the dictionary) is unpaid or unskilful — the mix-up. Sedulous (already in the dictionary) is carefully persistent effort, of the work not of how it was learned. A self-made expert on the chart still needs a named warden.

Meaning

A person who is self-taught.

Examples

• “An autodidact on the organogram still needs a named fire warden.”
• “Amateur is unpaid or unskilful (already in B1) — the mix-up. Sedulous is carefully persistent (already in C2). A layman is a non-expert (this batch) — the contrast. Self-teaching can still be exact. A title that never names the night post is a hole. Write the rota; then the biography.”

Good to know

A self-taught person. Everyday: self-taught. Mix-up: amateur (unpaid / unskilful — already in B1). Contrast: layman (non-expert — this batch). A chart is not a warden.

Near in meaning

self-taught, self-educated, self-instructed, autodidactic

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