Words / B1

by-OGR-uh-fee/baɪˈɒɡrəfi/

A biography is someone’s life written by another person: a biography of the scientist; an authorised biography. Autobiography is written by the subject. A memoir can be partial. Biographical is the adjective. Do not call a two-line exam profile a biography. A-level and university reading lists often include a biography as a source.

Meaning

The story of a person’s life, written by someone else.

Examples

• “The biography of the scientist is on the A-level reading list.”
• “The biography on the reading list covers her years in Parliament.”
• “An authorised biography had access to the letters; an unauthorised one did not.”

Good to know

a biography of + person. By the subject: autobiography. Adjective: biographical. Not a short profile.

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