album

American  

[al-buhm] / ˈæl bəm /

noun

• albums
  plural

1. 1. a bound or loose-leaf book consisting of blank pages, pockets, envelopes, etc., for storing or displaying photographs, stamps, or the like, or for collecting autographs.

   2. a digital collection of photographs, stored on a computer or mobile device for viewing, displaying, or sharing.

2. 1. a record or set of records containing several musical selections, a complete play or opera, etc..

      Her album of folk songs will be out next month.

   2. the package or container for such a record or records.

      The album has a pocket for each record.

   3. a collection of audio recordings released together as a collected work.

      The digital release of their debut album sold more copies than expected.

3. a printed book containing an anthology of writings, reproductions of photographs or artwork, musical compositions, etc.

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album British  

/ ˈælbəm /

noun

1. a book or binder consisting of blank pages, pockets, or envelopes for keeping photographs, stamps, autographs, drawings, poems, etc

2. one or more CDs, cassettes, or long-playing records released as a single item

3. a booklike holder containing sleeves for gramophone records

4. an anthology, usually large and illustrated

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• albums
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of album

First recorded in 1610–20; 1955–60 album for def. 2; from Latin: neuter singular of albus “white,” i.e., a blank (tablet) painted white for writing on

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Explanation

An album is a book of photographs, mementos, or a collection of some other kind — like music. As digital forms of photographs and music become more popular, albums are becoming a thing of the past. A photo album is full of pictures, and a stamp collector's album contains stamps from different countries. Another kind of album is a collection of songs, either on a record or a CD. In Latin, album means "white," and in ancient times it referred to a blank tablet. 16th century German academics kept what they called an album amicorum, or a collection of colleagues' signatures, and from there album came to mean "souvenir book."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

album albums

You just have to take it with the best humor as you can, and just as I said on my last album, roll with the punches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Dylan, who released his first album in 1963, was awarded a Nobel Prize for literature in 2016.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

He played drums on all 11 tracks of Thrillington, an instrumental reworking of Paul and Linda McCartney's album Ram, which the former Beatle released under the pseudonym Percy "Thrills" Thrillington.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

To further its coffeehouse push, Starbucks is also releasing its first global holiday album in over a decade, featuring new recordings by artists like JYT, the Womack Sisters and Brandi Carlile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Then he opened another drawer and found an empty photo album, undid the binding, and pulled out a sheet of rough black paper.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

The move recalls an era when the company was an unlikely force in the music business, selling holiday albums and other CDs in displays at the register.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

During his career, Mr. Seger recorded 18 studio albums in all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

While Minaj has more studio albums, Cardi B is a prolific hitmaker known for her metrical prowess and a kind of braggadocio that’s hard to beat.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

But artists in the genre have often moved away from albums, opting instead to release EPs and singles.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

And Jenny and Karen promise to visit, and give me the Spinners and the Supremes albums as going-away presents.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

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Related Words

• collection
• scrapbook

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