album

American  

[al-buhm] / ˈæl bəm /

noun

• albums
  plural

1. 1. a bound or loose-leaf book consisting of blank pages, pockets, envelopes, etc., for storing or displaying photographs, stamps, or the like, or for collecting autographs.

   2. a digital collection of photographs, stored on a computer or mobile device for viewing, displaying, or sharing.

2. 1. a record or set of records containing several musical selections, a complete play or opera, etc..

      Her album of folk songs will be out next month.

   2. the package or container for such a record or records.

      The album has a pocket for each record.

   3. a collection of audio recordings released together as a collected work.

      The digital release of their debut album sold more copies than expected.

3. a printed book containing an anthology of writings, reproductions of photographs or artwork, musical compositions, etc.

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album British  

/ ˈælbəm /

noun

1. a book or binder consisting of blank pages, pockets, or envelopes for keeping photographs, stamps, autographs, drawings, poems, etc

2. one or more CDs, cassettes, or long-playing records released as a single item

3. a booklike holder containing sleeves for gramophone records

4. an anthology, usually large and illustrated

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• albums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of album

First recorded in 1610–20; 1955–60 album for def. 2; from Latin: neuter singular of albus “white,” i.e., a blank (tablet) painted white for writing on

Explanation

An album is a book of photographs, mementos, or a collection of some other kind — like music. As digital forms of photographs and music become more popular, albums are becoming a thing of the past. A photo album is full of pictures, and a stamp collector's album contains stamps from different countries. Another kind of album is a collection of songs, either on a record or a CD. In Latin, album means "white," and in ancient times it referred to a blank tablet. 16th century German academics kept what they called an album amicorum, or a collection of colleagues' signatures, and from there album came to mean "souvenir book."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

album albums

The musician subsequently name-dropped both Polymarket and Coplan in his album “Iceman.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

The musician was speaking ahead of the release of his latest solo album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

In 2005, Dasafo became the first unsigned artist to win the Mobo award for hip-hop act before he released an official album.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The following year, he released his debut album This Is My Demo, accompanied by the top 40 single, Little Derek, which celebrated how he had "ended up in HMV instead of HMP".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

She replaced the album, straightening the spines so that no one would be able to tell she had been here, so no one would know how soft she really was, and how easily broken.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

The singer returns to the solemn acoustic style that served him well on two earlier albums with this musically transporting new collection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

If you go back to Quasimoto’s “The Unseen” for example, that was one of the first albums on Stones Throw, but those are songs that he just recorded at his house.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

The band have had eight UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, with Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Roll With It among their best-known hits.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Rolling Stone magazine called Styles "effortlessly charismatic" , externaland noted there was "real diversity" in a setlist that covered all four of his solo albums to date.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Mom’s albums had gone up in flames with everything else in the tent.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Related Words

• collection
• scrapbook