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ISBN

American  
[ahy-es-bee-en, iz-bin] / ˈaɪˈɛsˈbiˈɛn, ˈɪzˌbɪn /

noun

plural

ISBNs
  1. International Standard Book Number: a unique, internationally used number code assigned to books for the purposes of identification and inventory control.


ISBN British  

abbreviation

  1. International Standard Book Number

"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

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.

Perhaps, he said, someone had inserted a “dummy” bar code and ISBN, so that, say, the publisher and art director could see what the finished product would look like.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2021

Some costs are simply table stakes; you’ll need an ISBN, for instance, the number that identifies the book to any retailer or distributor.

From The Guardian • Aug. 28, 2014

My book was assigned its own unique ISBN: 978-3-659-46676-2.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2014

It’s been very useful, as I can input books either using a bar code scanner, with the ISBN, or manually if they don’t have a bar code or ISBN.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2013

People could search Amazon’s online catalog by author, title, subject, date or ISBN.

From The eBook is 40 (1971-2011) by Lebert, Marie