hardcover
Americannoun
adjective
-
bound in cloth, leather, or the like, over stiff material.
a hardcover series.
-
noting or pertaining to hardcover books.
hardcover sales.
Other Word Forms
- hardcovered adjective
Etymology
Origin of hardcover
Compare meaning
How does hardcover compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A hardcover book has stiff, rigid covers on its pages, rather than flexible ones. You might prefer hardcover books at home, but tend to pack paperback copies when you travel, since they weigh less. Hardcover books are the ones that tend to be published first, with firm, sturdy covers protecting the pages. You can also call this type of book a hardback. Paperbacks, commonly published after the hardcover has been out for several months, are floppy, lighter, and cost less to buy. Most library books have a special cover that's called "library binding," but it tends to be rigid like a hardcover.
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.
But what I think is more notable is how I do it: I read only hardcover or paperback books.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2026
The audiobook, narrated by actor Adam Lazarre-White, has outsold the hardcover edition, according to its publisher, Macmillan Audio.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
Various deluxe editions also come with bootleg recordings from a 1975 concert, concert films on Blu-ray, a hardcover book with never-seen photographs, a comic-book tour poster and more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025
This cloth quarter-bound hardcover book is printed on tactile, uncoated papers, and will be available to purchase at this release event.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2024
She put the hardcover back, slid it in beside The Da Vinci Code.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
