Involves

Word

Autodidacticism

aw-toh-dy-DAK-tih-siz-um · noun

The practice of directing your own education, rather than relying chiefly on formal instruction.

Examples

  • Her autodidacticism began with borrowed books and became a disciplined study of astronomy.

  • He paired autodidacticism with code reviews so that his mistakes would not become habits.

Origin

Built from autodidact, a self-taught person, using Greek roots for self and taught. The word identifies who directs the learning, not a life without teachers.

How it connects

Autodidacticism locates the initiative for learning in the learner.

This word appeared in Learning without waiting for admission, the Involves connection for October 27, 2026, which asked: What makes self-directed study more than collecting information?

Check yourself

Which learner best exemplifies autodidacticism?

Someone designing a course of study and seeking feedback on it. Exactly. Self-direction concerns who organizes the learning; it does not require refusing help.

What the sources establish

  • Autodidact means a self-taught person and derives from Greek roots for self and taught.

Sources