SELF-TAUGHT Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

self-taught

adjective

ˈself-ˈtȯt

Definition of self-taught

as in autodidactic

having skills or knowledge acquired through one's own efforts without formal training the cellist's success is all the more remarkable because she is self-taught

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of self-taught Smith started in finance and was self-taught in the business of fashion, building brands from the ground up, learning every part of the process–design, product development, manufacturing, marketing–by doing. — Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Ghasemipour is self-taught, which is why his pizza craft is so obsessive. — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026 Many of the teachers had no formal training, and some of them were local Black people who were self-taught. — Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 16 June 2026 Largely self-taught, Cole was a relentless observer of material fact. — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-taught

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-taught

Adjective

His autodidactic impulses may lead him to the history of clock towers or to the interplanetary rarity of wood.

— Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Definition of autodidactic

Adjective

Nearly a third of the stocks held by amateur traders are also held by hedge funds and other quintessentially aggressive pros, a record share.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
In the last few months, sea creatures such as whale and hammerhead sharks, devil rays, wahoos and other fish species have been seen by beachgoers and amateur anglers from Orange County to Malibu.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of amateur

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self-sustaining

self-taught

self-trust

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“Self-taught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-taught. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-taught

adjective

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