handbook
Americannoun
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handbooks
plural
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a book of instruction or guidance, as for an occupation; manual.
a handbook of radio.
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a guidebook for travelers.
a handbook of Italy.
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a reference book in a particular field.
a medical handbook.
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a scholarly book on a specific subject, often consisting of separate essays or articles.
a handbook of lectures on criticism.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of handbook
Translation of German Handbuch
Explanation
A handbook is a guide or list of instructions on one particular subject. A new car comes with a handbook explaining how its controls work and giving tips for problems that arise. Sometimes new parents wish their newborn infant came with a handbook. A handbook is a type of reference book, offering information about a topic or a machine. Your bird handbook might include pictures of birds in your region, and the handbook that came with your blender will tell you how to use it and also might include several smoothie recipes. In Old English, it was handboc, though in Middle English this was replaced by manual, thought at the time to be a much prettier word.
Vocabulary lists containing handbook
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Reading: Informational - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
It's the mental health handbook published by the American Psychiatric Association.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Most office dress codes aren’t etched in the employee handbook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
If I’m reading my wildflowers handbook right, these were tidy tips, Goldfields, Owl’s Clover, thistle sage, Valley Larkspur, coreopsis, phacelia and hillside daisies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
I want to add that if comments about your appearance persist, you might want to consult your employee handbook and ask HR.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026
I don’t know if there’s a how-to-go-on-a-first-date-without-making-a-total-fool-of-yourself handbook out there, but if there is I’m pretty sure fessing up to your weird Dolly Parton obsession is not on the do list.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
That includes First Choice’s handbooks for volunteers, training materials, and agreements such as the statements of faith that employees must uphold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
Mick Cronin’s postgame speech wasn’t one found in many coaching handbooks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024
The university, she said, had handed over letters from nonprofits and copies of student handbooks that were publicly available.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
The lawyers invoked an array of dictionaries, grammar usage guides, statutory drafting manuals, and handbooks for reading law, one of which was co-authored by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2023
While handbooks were helpful, the messages themselves were the best teachers.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
