Difference Between Memoir and Autobiography

Difference Between Memoir and Autobiography: Let’s understand Memoir and Autobiography in this way. Often, words are confused if their spelling is more or less the same or if they sound the same. However, there are some words where neither the spelling nor the sound is the same; but people are still confused by them and often use them interchangeably without knowing if it is even the correct usage. 

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between two such words – Memoir and Autobiography. 

Autobiography vs Memoir

How is the Word Memoir Different from Autobiography 

We know that both, a Memoir and an Autobiography, are non-fiction books about the life of a person written by himself/herself. Naturally, both the written in the first person, meaning, they use pronouns like ‘I’, ‘me’, and ‘us’, etc. However, they are not exactly the same things. 

To know the difference between these two words, let us look at them individually. 

The Word Memoir 

The word Memoir is a Noun. The origin of the word is from the French word memoir, meaning memory. It is used to refer to an account written by someone from their personal life, knowledge, or experience. It can also be used to refer to an essay written on a specific subject studied in depth.

Other words synonymous with this word are historical account, record, and chronicle, etc. The plural form of the word is Memoirs. 

Essentially, a Memoir is themed around a certain time period of one’s life. Moreover, although it is a true story, it isn’t fact-checked. This is because it is written more from an emotional perspective and is meant to connect to the reader by sharing personal experiences and feelings. Also, it needs not to be in the sequence of events of one’s life. It can be random narratives from any random time period of a person’s life. 

Usually, in a memoir, people choose to share events from a significant event that occurred in their lives. It can include things like success, fame, unfortunate events, or even family. It can be written at any point in time in one’s life had the person already faced an impactful event. 

Some Real Examples of Memoirs

Here are some famous memoirs you might have heard of-

1. “Dreams from My Father” – Barack Obama 
2. “The Glass Castle” – Jeannette Walls
3. “Born a Crime” – Trevor Noah 
4. “Wild”- Cheryl Strayed 
5. “Eat, Pray, Love” – Elizabeth Gilbert 

The Word Autobiography

The word Autobiography is a Noun that is used to refer to an account that contains details about a person’s life, written by himself/herself. The origin of the word is from the three root words, auto, bio, and graph, meaning self, life, and write respectively. 

Other words synonymous with this word are life story, personal history, journal, etc. The plural form of the word is Autobiographies. 

Essentially, an Autobiography, written in chronological order, is about a person’s entire life. It is obviously a true story and is moreover, fact-checked. This is because it is written by famous people and is later used as a resource about them. 

In an autobiography, people do not pick specific events of their life but share everything about their lives. Although it is written by famous people, anyone can write it. Also, it is usually written by a person in the later years of their life. 

Some Real Examples of Autobiography 

Here are some famous autobiographies you might have heard of-

1. “The Diary of a Young Girl” – Anne Frank 
2. “The Story of My Life” – Helen Keller
3. “Becoming” – Michelle Obama
4. “Wings of Fire” – A.P.J Abdul Kalam 
5. “Playing It My Way” – Sachin Tendulkar

The Difference – Memoir and Autobiography 

Summing up what we have read so far, here is how a Memoir is different from an autobiography. 

Memoir	Autobiography
The root word from which it originates is from French.	The root words from which it originates from are from Greek.
It is an account of any specific event, experience or a time period from a person’s life.	It is an account of the entire life of an individual.
It is written more on a personal level and is more about feelings and emotions.	It includes all aspects of a person’s life.
It is not fact -checked.	It is fact-checked.
It needs not be in chronological order.	It is always in chronological order.
It contains information about only some events from a person’s life.	It becomes an important source of information about a person.
It can be written at any point of time in life.	It is usually written in the later years of life.
It is synonymous with terms like historical account, record and chronicle, etc.	It is synonymous with terms like life story, personal history, and journal, etc.
Example – “Dreams from My Father” – Barack Obama	Example – “The Diary of a Young Girl” – Anne Frank