paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpā-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
Synonyms of paperbacknext
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective
or less commonly paperbacked
ˈpā-pər-ˌbakt How to pronounce paperback (audio)

Examples of paperback in a Sentence

The store sells both paperbacks and hardcovers. The book is sold only in paperback.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Supporters say the new paperback edition, released by Macmillan Publishers, is just as relevant today as when the book first came out. — Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 Of course, just as with the paperback, the dust jacket was not an invention of the twentieth century. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 My biography, which is now in paperback, is an effort to bring the woman and her life into vivid color. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026 Seth Wickersham, a top sports journalist with ESPN in Bristol for over 25 years, has assembled his best work into a nearly 500-page paperback collection. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paperback

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paperback was in 1843

Rhymes for paperback

See All Rhymes for paperback

Browse Nearby Words

paper
paperback
paper-bag bush
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Cite this Entry

“Paperback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperback. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

paperback

noun
pa·​per·​back ˈpä-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on paperback

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