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• out-of-print
  out-of-print

  adjective

  being no longer published; no longer printed or reprinted.
• out of print
  out of print

  see under in print; also see go out, def. 6.

out-of-print

American  

[out-uhv-print] / ˈaʊt əvˈprɪnt /

adjective

1. being no longer published; no longer printed or reprinted.

   a bookstore specializing in out-of-print books.

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noun

1. a book, pamphlet, etc., that is no longer published.

out of print Idioms  

1. see under in print; also see go out, def. 6.

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Etymology

Origin of out-of-print

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out-of-print out of print

Mr. Friedman relies on unpublished letters, out-of-print memoirs and declassified files to craft his narrative of the operation, a joint initiative between British intelligence and the Jewish Agency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

There, I stumble on titles I’ve never seen, by authors I’ve never heard of, alongside out-of-print classics I don’t own.

From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025

But as a kinesiology student at Fresno State, he was handed an out-of-print textbook that told him he had it all wrong.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2024

And then, said Dawson: “The thing that was really hard for the out-of-print book trade was the advent of the internet.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2023

I was about to hang up, then I said, “Well, as long as you’ve gone this far, call Argosy on Fifty-ninth Street. They specialize in out-of-print stuff.”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

After being out of print for decades, the author’s third novel, Survivor, has just been rereleased.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

The Connection reunited back in 2022 for a show in honor of Kaye’s 75th birthday, but the record’s been out of print for some time.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

So when Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Publishing division requested Collins write the introduction to its new edition of “Survivor,” hitting shelves in September after more than 40 years out of print, she was apprehensive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Haugen’s book “The New Finance” was rigorous and often laugh-out-loud funny, but is unfortunately out of print.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

She went to three bookstores, but Danny reminded her that it was out of print.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova