cardboard

1 of 2

noun

card·​board ˈkärd-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce cardboard (audio)
: a material made from cellulose fiber (such as wood pulp) like paper but usually thicker
cardboardy adjective

cardboard

2 of 2

adjective

1
: made of or as if of cardboard
2
: unreal, stereotyped
a play with cardboard characters

Examples of cardboard in a Sentence

Noun Cover the windows with cardboard. Adjective The play had cardboard characters.
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.
Noun
Storing Everything In Cardboard Boxes Insects easily creep into cardboard boxes, which also don't keep moisture out. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 June 2025 Nani was one of three puppies found huddled close together in a cardboard box by police in Drost Park, Maryville, Illinois on Wednesday, May 21. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adjective
The boxes are cardboard and contain individual plastic packages of products. Jonel Aleccia, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025 Takeout containers are cardboard rather than plastic. Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cardboard

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cardboard was in 1789

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cardboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardboard. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

cardboard

noun
card·​board
ˈkärd-ˌbō(ə)rd,
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
: a material made from cellulose fiber (as wood pulp) like paper but usually thicker

More from Merriam-Webster on cardboard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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