workbook
Americannoun
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a manual of operating instructions.
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a book designed to guide the work of a student by inclusion of questions, exercises, etc.
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a book in which a record is kept of work completed or planned.
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Digital Technology. a file that contains worksheets, or multiple sections, usually in spreadsheet applications.
noun
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an exercise book or textbook used for study, esp a textbook with spaces for answers
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a book of instructions for some process
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a book in which is recorded all work done or planned
Etymology
Origin of workbook
Explanation
A school text that includes space for you to write or do practice problems is a workbook. If you find your vocabulary workbook dull and tedious, ask your teacher if you can use Vocabulary.com instead! Simply put, a workbook is a book that you can do work in. Usually, workbooks are paperbacks filled with problems or exercises that you're meant to do right in the workbook, rather than on a separate sheet of paper. Elementary school students might have workbooks for practicing printing letters or doing simple math, while high school students may use a workbook to prepare for taking a test like the SAT.
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.
Attendees in one session were directed to write down their “unproductive thoughts” and assess if they were based on facts, according to a copy of the workbook seen by the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Questions in the ethics workbook include “What, if anything, could Lisa have done or thought about to make better decisions?” and “What are the potential and actual consequences of Principal Skinner’s decisions?”
From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024
A stack of books on his desk includes a Spanish language workbook, a notebook he uses to practice writing Japanese and a Chinese history book written in Korean.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024
Is “Taking Shape” — the latest album by the bassist Kaisa Mäensivu and her quintet, Kaisa’s Machine — a journal, or a workbook?
From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023
I dug out the math book and the workbook underneath it.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
