pamphlet
Americannoun
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a complete publication of generally less than 80 pages stitched or stapled together and usually having a paper cover.
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a short treatise or essay, generally a controversial tract, on some subject of contemporary interest.
a political pamphlet.
noun
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a brief publication generally having a paper cover; booklet
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a brief treatise, often on a subject of current interest, published in pamphlet form
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pamphlet
1375–1425; late Middle English pamflet < Anglo-Latin panfletus, pamfletus, syncopated variant of Pamphiletus, diminutive of Medieval Latin Pamphilus, title of a 12th-century Latin comedy. See -et
Explanation
A pamphlet is a little booklet with a soft (usually paper) cover that briefly addresses a particular subject of interest. The word pamphlet comes from Pamphilet, from a Latin love poem that was popular in the 12th century. “Pamphilus,” the original Latin title, means “loved by all.” When the printing press came along in the 15th century, pamphlets became a good way to publicize your ideas — they were relatively cheap and you could print lots of them. They’re still used in political campaigns, and sometimes armies distribute pamphlets when they’re trying to communicate with people across a wide area.
Vocabulary lists containing pamphlet
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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List 9
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1998, James Ingram, a church member working at Colonial Williamsburg, began portraying Gowan Pamphlet, an enslaved man who was among the congregation’s first ministers.
From New York Times • May 8, 2023
By way of evidence, he read a passage from the document they had distributed—a text known as the Yellow Pamphlet, after the color of the paper it was printed on.
From Slate • Oct. 16, 2017
The Purple Pamphlet, a report by the panel, turned off people who found the material obscene.
From Washington Times • Jun. 19, 2016
Dr. Pamphlet handed me his trademark piece of medical literature, a paper handout detailing Prostatitis, which explained that even though I was young, fit and healthy, my prostate was inflamed, sluggish and worse for wear.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2015
Dr. Price's Pamphlet of Advice to America is a good one, and will do Good.
From Benjamin Franklin Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes by Jorgenson, Chester E.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
