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:
A few months ago I found a paperback copy of George Orwell’s “1984” on a city bus.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
They are often derided for their cost, and customers declare they will wait till the paperback comes out.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 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
A paperback of Last Act by Christopher Pike sat facedown on her lap, its spine creased.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“Unlike for mass-market paperbacks, hardcover books were shelved, so it didn’t matter that the books were different sizes,” Margolis says.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
It was admirable that Wemby played chess and devoured paperbacks, but what was going to happen in crunch time, when an opponent socked him in the gut and tried to shake him?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
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
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
I also find a spot for my paperbacks Great American Poetry and Macbeth.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
