semi-autobiographical

adjective

semi-au·​to·​bio·​graph·​i·​cal ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˌbī-ə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce semi-autobiographical (audio)
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
variants or less commonly semiautobiographical
: partly autobiography and partly fiction : being a fictionalized account of the author's life
a semi-autobiographical novel/film
… James Herriott's semiautobiographical story of his return from WWII to family and friends.TV Guide
The play is a convincing picture of a brief but powerful relationship, based on Owen's copious letters and the semi-autobiographical account of Sassoon's George Sherston.Simon Berry
Pedro Almodóvar's most recent drama is one of his most personal: a semi-autobiographical study of an aging, isolated filmmaker who reconnects with an estranged colleague … and starts reassessing his own life.Norman Wilner
In this semiautobiographical take on her own life, [Pamela] Adlon plays "Sam," a working actress and single parent in Los Angeles.Kit Steinkellner
also : of, relating to, or in the style of a semi-autobiographical work
a semi-autobiographical protagonist/character/role
Through semiautobiographical storytelling, Jenna Dawn Maclellan's project will address the challenges of daily life in the North … The Sudbury Star
The acclaimed artist … is known for the semi-autobiographical nature of his work, which riffs on his own youth in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam. Guy Dixon
Is this all meant to be a semi-autobiographical comment on what fame does to relationships, since [Darren] Aronofsky and [Jennifer] Lawrence are an item in real life? Ryan Lambie

Examples of semi-autobiographical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film, the actress plays Penny Lane, a groupie for the fictional band Stillwater. Hannah Malach, WWD, 26 Feb. 2025 By Sunday, news of the ban reached the Oscar-winning actress, whose first book, the semi-autobiographical children’s story Freckleface Strawberry, was published in 2007. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2025 Variety understands that the film is semi-autobiographical and is about the relationship between a father and his two young boys over the course of a day in the Nigerian city. Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025 The dance between the two is at the heart of Jake Brasch’s semi-autobiographical dramatic comedy about a college student who, kicked out of his theater program in New York for alcohol abuse, returns to Colorado and finds that his declining grandparents may be his lifeline. Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025 In 1984, after 10 seasons of the 19th-century period western series — a semi-autobiographical look at Laura Ingalls Wilder's life based on her books — the Ingalls family's story culminated in Little House: The Last Farewell. Julia Moore, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025 At the heart of Mo, a semi-autobiographical Netflix dramedy from co-creator and star Mo Amer, is the tension between Mo the regular guy and Mo the stateless survivor, a man of estimable charms and abilities who is legally prohibited from establishing a legitimate career. Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025 Hell's Kitchen, a semi-autobiographical musical about her life growing up in Manhattan, premiered Off Broadway in 2023, transferred to Broadway the following year, and won Tonys for Best Actress in a Musical (Maleah Joi Moon) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Kecia Lewis). Marcus Jones, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2025 Four decades after the television adaptation of Wilder’s beloved semi-autobiographical book series Little House on the Prairie captured the hearts of audiences, the author’s tales of early life in 1870s Minnesota are coming back to the screen. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semi-autobiographical was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Semi-autobiographical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semi-autobiographical. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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