self-taught
Educated without teachers
Self-taught describes someone who learned a skill or subject without formal instruction or a teacher: a self-taught pianist, She's a self-taught programmer.
The term often carries admiration for initiative and persistence, though it can also signal gaps in foundational knowledge.
A self-taught person may have learned from books, observation, trial and error, or online resources—anything but structured education.
One who teaches themselves
- autodidactismLearning independently, without instructors
- unschooledLacking formal instruction
- homeschoolingFamily-directed academic instruction
- knowledge-seekerOne who pursues understanding
bibliophile · polymath · polyglot · reader · intellectual · curiosity · erudition · enlightenment
Solving by successive approximation
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- hands-onInvolving direct physical engagement
- apprenticeshipLearning trade through employment
mentorship · observation · imitation · repetition · tinkering · DIY · reverse-engineering · project-based
Departing from established norms
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- informalRelaxed, not official
- alternativeAnother available choice
- non-academicOutside formal learning
street-smart · real-world · vocational · bootstrap · grassroots · maverick · outsider
Trained self-control or specialty
- motivationImpetus toward a goal
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- curiosityDesire to learn
resourcefulness · initiative · grit · tenacity · resilience · dedication · patience · drive
Large-scale internet classes
- e-learningInternet-delivered instruction
- manualsInstructional reference documents
- textbooksEducational reference volumes
- libraryBook collection or building
webinars · Skillshare · tutorials · podcasts · documentation · forums · blogs
autodidact
One who teaches themselves
- autodidactismLearning independently, without instructors
- unschooledLacking formal instruction
- homeschoolingFamily-directed academic instruction
knowledge-seeker · bibliophile · polymath · polyglot · reader · intellectual · curiosity · erudition · enlightenment · scholarship
trial-and-error
Solving by successive approximation
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- hands-onInvolving direct physical engagement
apprenticeship · mentorship · observation · imitation · repetition · tinkering · DIY · reverse-engineering · project-based · immersion
nontraditional
Departing from established norms
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- informalRelaxed, not official
- alternativeAnother available choice
non-academic · street-smart · real-world · vocational · bootstrap · grassroots · maverick · outsider
discipline
Trained self-control or specialty
- motivationImpetus toward a goal
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
- determinationFirmness of purpose
curiosity · resourcefulness · initiative · grit · tenacity · resilience · dedication · patience · drive · focus
MOOCs
Large-scale internet classes
- e-learningInternet-delivered instruction
- manualsInstructional reference documents
- textbooksEducational reference volumes
library · webinars · Skillshare · tutorials · podcasts · documentation · forums · blogs
- Alternative Learningvocational school, trade school, technical school, homeschool, online course
- amateursamateur, hobbyist, nonprofessional, dabbler, novice
- hobbyist levelsbeginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, expert
- self-educationautodidacticism, autodidact, independent learning, independent study, home study
- practical learninghands-on, hands-on learning, learning by doing, experiential, vocational
- Self-learningautodidact, online courses, e-learning, tutorials, practice
self, teacher, teaching, taught, self-educated, self-education