1
: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction
a self-taught musician
2
: learned by oneself
self-taught knowledge

Examples of self-taught in a Sentence

the cellist's success is all the more remarkable because she is self-taught
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Much like her success with script supervising, King was self-taught but also relied on heavyweight comic talents like Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet for advice. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024 Upon discovering that his pop star hero, Prince, was self-taught, the teen picked up a guitar. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Oct. 2024 His legal training is all self-taught, as is everything with Dwight. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2024 Tanya Tagaq, another artist pushing throat singing into the ether, is self-taught almost by accident. Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for self-taught 

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-taught was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near self-taught

Cite this Entry

“Self-taught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-taught. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-taught

adjective
ˈself-ˈtȯt
1
: having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction
a self-taught musician
2
: learned by oneself
self-taught knowledge

More from Merriam-Webster on self-taught

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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