bestseller

Or best sell·er

[best-sel-er]

noun

1. a book that is among those having the largest sales during a given period.

2. any product that among those of its kind is selling particularly well at a given time.

   This car was a bestseller last year.

bestseller

/ ˌbɛstˈsɛlə /

noun

1. a book, record, CD, or other product that has sold in great numbers, esp over a short period

2. the author of one or more such books, etc

Other Word Forms

• bestsellerdom noun
• best-selling adjective
• bestselling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bestseller¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; best + seller

Example Sentences

For nearly 30 years, veteran journalist and author Jeff Pearlman had made his bones as a respected sportswriter with a stacked resume that included seven New York Times bestsellers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Hostage" has become an instant bestseller in Israel, selling over 100,000 copies.

Read more on Barron's

It became an instant bestseller that was widely discussed and resonated deeply in Korea.

Read more on BBC

The runaway bestseller was celebrated for normalising mental health conversations and its nuanced take on inner struggles - most notably, the author's personal conflict between depressive thoughts and her appreciation for simple joys.

Read more on BBC

Published in 1958, this slender novel was an instant bestseller and is credited with launching the mystery genre in Japan.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal