paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpā-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective
or less commonly paperbacked

Examples of paperback in a Sentence

The store sells both paperbacks and hardcovers. The book is sold only in paperback.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The actor, 44, is celebrating the trade paperback release of his comic book series The Writer – written in collaboration with Ben and Max Berkowitz – with a golden ticket giveaway à la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Raven Brunner, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Lost City Books in Adams Morgan is throwing a spring sidewalk sale Saturday and Sunday with $2 paperbacks, $3 hardcovers and $5 oversized books. Anna Spiegel, Axios, 27 Mar. 2025 The following bookshops boast a large selection of English books, ranging from secondhand paperbacks to high-end art books and everything in between. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 Yard and garage sales were flush with the sale of paperbacks. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for paperback

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paperback was in 1843

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paperback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperback. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

paperback

noun
pa·​per·​back ˈpä-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on paperback

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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