Autobiography

Biography genre

Definition and overview

Definition and Overview
A biography is a written or spoken account of someone’s life. It usually includes information such as their birth date, place of birth, family members, education, career, achievements, and death (if applicable). Biographies are often used to introduce people who have made significant contributions in various fields like politics, literature, science, sports, entertainment, etc. They provide insight into the personality, motivations, and experiences of the subject matter. The genre has been around for centuries, with some of the earliest known examples being from ancient Greece and Rome. In modern times, biographies are widely available in various forms including books, movies, television shows, and online articles.

History and development

The biography genre has its roots in ancient Greece, where writers such as Plutarch wrote biographies of famous individuals. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the modern form of the biography began to take shape, with writers like James Boswell creating detailed acc

What Is a Biography?

Learning from the experiences of others is what makes us human.

At the core of every biography is the story of someone’s humanity. While biographies come in many sub-genres, the one thing they all have in common is loyalty to the facts, as they’re available at the time. Here’s how we define biography, a look at its origins, and some popular types.

“Biography” Definition

A biography is simply the story of a real person’s life. It could be about a person who is still alive, someone who lived centuries ago, someone who is globally famous, an unsung hero forgotten by history, or even a unique group of people. The facts of their life, from birth to death (or the present day of the author), are included with life-changing moments often taking center stage. The author usually points to the subject’s childhood, coming-of-age events, relationships, failures, and successes in order to create a well-rounded description of her subject.

Biographies require a great deal of research. Sources of information could be as direct as an interview with the subject providing

Biography meaning

The word 'biography' is a combination of the Greek words 'bios', which means 'life', and 'graphia', which refers to 'writing'. Simply stated, this means that a biography is a written account of someone else's life.

Biography: a detailed written account of a real person's life authored by a different person.


The subject of the biography, that is, the person whose life the biography is describing could be a historical figure, a celebrity, a politician, an athlete or even an ordinary person with a life full of stories worth telling.


A biography is a factual recording of a person's life from their birth to death (or the time that the biography is being written). It contains detailed descriptions of the person's childhood, education, relationships, career and any other key touchstone moments that defined that person's life. Hence, a biography is a non-fictional form of writing.


Non-fiction: Literature that is based on real-life events and facts, rather than imagination.

The first-ever biographies can be traced back to Ancient Greece and Rome, where pe

Copyright ©peacafe.pages.dev 2025