paperback
Americannoun
adjective
-
(of a book) bound in a flexible paper cover.
a paperback edition of Orwell's novel.
-
of, for, or pertaining to paperbacks.
a paperback bookstore.
noun
adjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of paperback
Compare meaning
How does paperback compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A paperback is a book with a paper cover, instead of a soft cover. If you wait to buy a book until it comes out as a paperback, you'll save money. In the 1830s and 40s, publishers began offering inexpensive versions of already-published books with paper covers, and the word paperback followed in 1888. Paperbacks are popular because they're smaller, lighter, and less expensive than their stiffly bound hardcover counterparts. A paperback edition of a book is usually released about a year after the book is first published in hardcover, although some books, called paperback originals, are published only in paperback form.
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:
It is newly arrived in paperback, and a perfect summer page-turner.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
"Then we'll buy the paperback when it comes out," she added.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
The paperback rights for her second book, 1978’s Love Signs, were sold for $2.5 million, establishing an industry record at the time.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
Repackaged, deluxe paperback editions of the other titles in the “Patternist” series — “Patternmaster,” “Mind of My Mind,” “Wild Seed” and “Clay’s Ark” — will be released June 23, the day after Butler’s birthday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
That Christmas, Mrs. Finley gave me paperback copies of both the comedies and tragedies of Shakespeare.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Like many people, my garage and closets are littered with the detritus of modern life—from stacks of paperbacks and fancy china to a fussy tea maker, still swaddled in its box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025
Surrounded by shelves stacked with brightly coloured paperbacks – with titles including Just For the Summer, Swept Away and The Friendship Fling – young women are milling around, chatting and flicking through books.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2025
A short distance away is a shelf of vintage mystery paperbacks that, when pressed in the correct spots, opens onto a kind of grotto.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
The ones that aren’t so nice to look at, like dog-eared paperbacks, are stored in the cabinets.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
Mo had bought a couple of well-worn paperbacks that looked as if they had already passed through the hands of several people.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
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.
