hardback

American

[hahrd-bak] / ˈhɑrdˌbæk /

noun

hardcover.

hardback British

/ ˈhɑːdˌbæk /

noun

a book or edition with covers of cloth, cardboard, or leather Compare paperback

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

Also: casebound, hardbound, hardcover. of or denoting a hardback or the publication of hardbacks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hardback

First recorded in 1740–50; hard + back ¹

Compare meaning

How does hardback compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

hardback vs. paperback

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:

hardback

In Beatles scholar Kevin Howlett’s detailed account of the making of the album, presented here in a tastefully illustrated 88-page hardback book, one of the unsung heroes of the record is Hazel Yarwood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

At a ranch high up in the Sawtooth mountain range, students sat on hardback chairs in the middle of a mountain meadow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

However, others believe the hardback has had its day and should be scrapped.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

It became the bestselling adult debut hardback of 2024.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

Before I left he handed me a small hardback book called Magic for the Young and the Young at Heart.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023