How are memoirs and reminiscences different from formal autobiographies?

The primary distinction between memoirs and reminiscences and formal autobiographies lies in their narrative focus and intent.

While a formal autobiography typically aims to provide a comprehensive account of the author's life, memoirs and reminiscences emphasize the events, people, and experiences the author considers most significant rather than the life of the author themselves. In essence, these works focus on what is remembered rather than who is remembering.1

This difference is often illustrated by the depth of personal revelation; a memoir may present a detailed tapestry of recollections while revealing very little about the author's internal experience or what it feels like to be in their "skin," whereas a formal autobiography is often characterized by a more introspective effort to reshape one's life through recollection. Consequently, while all these forms fall under the umbrella of biographical literature, memoirs and reminiscences function as selective accounts, whereas formal autobiographies strive for a more holistic, albeit subjective, narrative of the self.21