autobiology
|au-to-bi-ol-o-gy|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɑːlədʒi/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒlədʒi/
study of one's own life/biology
Etymology
'autobiology' originates from Greek elements 'auto-' and 'biology', specifically 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'biology' from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life' plus 'logia' meaning 'study'.
'autobiology' is a modern English coinage formed by combining the prefix 'auto-' and the noun 'biology' (both derived from Greek), created analogously to words like 'autobiography' and 'biology' in contemporary usage.
Initially formed as a literal compound meaning 'the study of one's own life/biology'; because it is rare and somewhat specialized, its usage has remained narrow and its meaning has not undergone major shifts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the study or analysis of an individual's own biological processes or life (either as a reflective/self‑directed inquiry into one's biology or a proposed field focused on single‑organism life processes).
Her research in autobiology examined how stress affected her own immune responses over time.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/23 22:24