Autodidacts

/ˌɔːtoʊˈdɪdækts/ noun

Definition

Plural of autodidact; multiple people who teach themselves and gain knowledge through independent study rather than formal education.

Etymology

Simple plural of autodidact, from Greek autos (self) + didakt- (taught). The plural form allows discussion of entire groups of self-educated people.

Kelly Says

Silicon Valley was essentially built by autodidacts—engineers and programmers who learned by doing rather than through traditional computer science degrees—yet companies now obsessively recruit from top universities, perhaps missing the very trait that built the industry.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.