Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pocketbook

American  
[pok-it-book] / ˈpɒk ɪtˌbʊk /

noun

  1. handbag.

  2. a person's financial resources or means.

    The price was out of reach of his pocketbook.

  3. Also pocket book a book, usually paperback, that is small enough to carry in one's coat pocket.

  4. British.

    1. a notebook for carrying in one's pocket.

    2. a wallet or billfold.

pocketbook British  
/ ˈpɒkɪtˌbʊk /

noun

  1. a small bag or case for money, papers, etc, carried by a handle or in the pocket

  2. (modifier) concerned with personal finance

    pocketbook issues
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pocketbook

First recorded in 1610–20; pocket + book

Explanation

Pocketbook is another name for a purse or wallet, a place to keep money or other essentials. Pocketbook can also refer to the amount of money you have, even if it’s in your mattress. In the UK, pocketbook is a pocket-sized notebook, but in the US it's usually a small bag typically carried by women. Figuratively, your pocketbook is your budget: "Those shoes are way too expensive for my pocketbook." In the early 1600s, a pocketbook was "a book small enough to fit in a pocket," and by 1722 it became "a booklike leather folder for papers." In the early 1800s, it came to mean "woman's handbag."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing pocketbook

Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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.

America’s pocketbook and its military are both showing their limits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Sentiment was nearly 30% below the level in December 2024 “as pocketbook issues continue to dominate consumer views of the economy,” the report said.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

By the early 20th century, dictionaries of American slang show gravy drifting from the plate to the pocketbook.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

But they’re also taking fresh inspiration from Mamdani’s win, pointing to his inclusive, unapologetic campaign and his relentless focus on pocketbook issues, particularly among working-class voters.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2025

She gave him a glimpse of it, then dropped the ribbon into her pocketbook.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

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.