playbook

American  

[pley-book] / ˈpleɪˌbʊk /

noun

1. (in Elizabethan drama) the script of a play, used by the actors as an acting text.

2. a book containing the scripts of one or more plays.

3. Football. a notebook containing descriptions of all the plays and strategies used by a team, often accompanied by diagrams, issued to players for them to study and memorize before the season begins.

4. Informal. any plan or set of strategies, as for outlining a campaign in business or politics.

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playbook British  

/ ˈpleɪˌbʊk /

noun

1. a book containing a range of possible set plays

2. a notional range of possible tactics in any sphere of activity

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Etymology

Origin of playbook

First recorded in 1525–35; play + book

Example Sentences

Musk seems to be running the same playbook for artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch

The brand previously followed the same primarily seasonal advertising playbook year after year, emphasizing Halloween and Valentine’s Day, for example, to reliable effect but little applause.

From The Wall Street Journal

TAIPEI—When Beijing wants to intimidate its rivals, it has an extensive—and often menacing—playbook to draw from.

From The Wall Street Journal

The document is being seen as a playbook for U.S. action.

From The Wall Street Journal

The mullahs’ response came from their usual playbook.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• article
• book
• copy
• dialogue
• libretto
• manuscript
• scenario
• text