biographical

Biographical is an adjective relating to biography, the account of a person’s life. The term derives from Greek bios, life, and graphia, writing. In scholarly and public discourse, biographical describes works, materials, or approaches that center on real individuals and their life events rather than fictional characters or abstract themes.

Biographical works span several forms. They include biographies, biographical sketches, profiles, and feature articles; in media they appear as biographical films, documentaries, radio profiles, and plays. Reference resources such as biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias assemble short, standardized summaries of notable people. The label can also apply to narratively structured pieces that emphasize life history, even when they take various genres.

Biographical writing relies on historical records, letters, diaries, interviews, and other primary sources, combined with secondary analysis. Writers strive for accuracy and balance through corroboration, multiple perspectives, and clear dating of claims. However, biographies can reflect the author's interpretations, editorial choices, or cultural biases, and contentious life events may be contested.

Biographical work is distinct from autobiographical writing, which presents the subject’s own life, and from fictional or biographical fiction, which blends fact and invention. See also autobiography and biographical dictionary.