edition

American  

[ih-dish-uhn] / ɪˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

• editions
  plural

1. one of a series of printings of the same book, newspaper, etc., each issued at a different time and differing from another by alterations, additions, etc. (distinguished from impression).

2. the format in which a literary work is published.

   a one-volume edition of Shakespeare.

3. the whole number of impressions or copies of a book, newspaper, etc., printed from one set of type at one time.

4. a version of anything, printed or not, presented to the public.

   the newest edition of a popular musical revue.

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edition British  

/ ɪˈdɪʃən /

noun

1. printing

   1. the entire number of copies of a book, newspaper, or other publication printed at one time from a single setting of type

   2. a single copy from this number

      a first edition

      the evening edition

2. one of a number of printings of a book or other publication, issued at separate times with alterations, amendments, etc Compare impression

3. 1. an issue of a work identified by its format

      a leather-bound edition of Shakespeare

   2. an issue of a work identified by its editor or publisher

      the Oxford edition of Shakespeare

4. a particular instance of a television or radio programme broadcast

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verb

1. (tr) to produce multiple copies of (an original work of art)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preedition
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• editions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of edition

1545–55; (< Middle French ) < Latin ēditiōn- (stem of ēditiō ) publication, equivalent to ēdit ( us ) (past participle of ēdere; see edit) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

An edition is a particular version of a publication. A book collector will pay a lot of money for a first edition of an important work (but that probably doesn’t include any of the paperbacks on your shelf). Edition can also refer to a book’s format. If you really enjoy reading a particular book, you might want to purchase a leather-bound, gilded-edge edition of it. In addition, edition can designate a particular issue of a newspaper. If you're a fan of crossword puzzles, you know that the toughest puzzle usually appears in the weekend edition.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

edition editions

And as she approaches its fourth edition, it has only grown larger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Appeared in the August 15, 2026, print edition as 'U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

However, with this year the sixth edition, The Hundred is no longer the shiny new toy, even despite the new names, new kits and new owners.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Tournament director Vikram Banerjee told BBC Sport he thinks 2026 has been a "better edition" than last year and "one of the best" in The Hundred's history.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

In the same year as Ziegler’s book, there appeared at Wittenberg an edition of Sacrobosco with an introduction by the leading Lutheran theologian and educator, Melanchthon.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The author admitted her mistake, and future editions will be corrected, but water use is still the first concern opponents mention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The South African won his first Commonwealth medal in Delhi in 2010 at the age of 18 and now has seven gold, five silver and nine bronze medals across five editions of the Games.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

And, send me your thoughts on this week’s newsletter and what you’d like to read about in future editions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The common denominator for all of the editions is audiences who are more upscale and better educated than the average TV viewer, he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Vergil’s book was enormously successful, appearing in over one hundred editions.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• copy
• program
• publication
• release
• version
• volume