textbook

American  

[tekst-book] / ˈtɛkstˌbʊk /

noun

• textbooks
  plural

1. a book used by students as a standard work for a particular branch of study.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or seemingly suitable for inclusion in a textbook; typical; classic.

   a textbook case.

textbook British  

/ ˈtɛkstˌbʊk /

noun

1. 1. a book used as a standard source of information on a particular subject

   2. ( as modifier )

      a textbook example

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• textbookish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• textbooks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of textbook

First recorded in 1720–30; text + book

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Explanation

A textbook is an informational book that you use specifically for a class at school. Your biology textbook might be so heavy that you dread lugging it to class. Textbooks are manuals written for instruction in a subject, rather than books you might read for fun. Today many students read textbooks in electronic form, rather than as bound hardcovers. Starting around the 19th century (with easy access to printing and standardized education in many parts of the world), textbooks became a common educational tool. Earlier, a textbook was a name for "a book with wide spaces between the lines."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

textbook textbooks

My own case of denial was mortifyingly textbook.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026

Janson, the author of the “History of Art” textbook, first published in 1962, implied that the regionalist painter was unworthy of scholarly attention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Giancarlo: On my new book, I think readers are going to enjoy it because it’s not meant to be a textbook on crypto.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

But, like many luxuries, as they became more popular and more accessible to the masses, the wealthy began pivoting – a textbook example of behaviour known as "counter signalling", Rudolfo says.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

He’s slumped in his chair, and it looks like he’s talking to the textbook.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

That database was paltry compared with those assembled by AI developers today, but even then computers had become repositories of the esoteric facts one found in reference works and textbooks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

He also wants to make community colleges “cheaper, faster, better” in part by offering students more training for specific jobs and less expensive online textbooks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The researchers' 2024 research concluded that textbooks had been describing this effect incorrectly for almost 100 years.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

Viktoria Haidai surveys the mangled remains of the printing press, which should have been busy churning out textbooks ready for the new school year.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

In fact, other than my schoolteachers reading out of our textbooks, no one had ever read to me before.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

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Related Words

• workbook

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