bestseller

noun

best·​sell·​er ˈbes(t)-ˈse-lər 

variants or best seller

plural bestsellers or best sellers

: a popular product and especially a book whose sales are among the highest of its class

[Isabel] Allende's new book is spun from the stuff of epic romances: eternal love, lost innocence, distant locales, revolution. In short, all the elements of a sure bestseller.

—Julie K. L. Dam

The Harvard Book Store Café … is not only the obvious choice for the latest best seller but the intelligent break for a shopper's graze.

—Alice Rubenstein Gochman

Two million copies have been sold, and it has been on the New York Times bestseller list for four years.

—Judith Daniels

… the two Fisher-Price bestsellers are the company's Fun with Food [toy] series and the Fisher-Price Fun with Food Kitchen.

—The New Yorker

She knows what the mass market wants—Vanderbilt and Chaps [fragrances] are best sellers—and she has a flair for what appeals to a more specialized market …

—Amy Singer

best-sellerdom

ˈbes(t)-ˈse-lər-dəm 

noun

best-selling

ˈbes(t)-ˈse-liŋ 

adjective

Examples of bestseller in a Sentence

She has written several best sellers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Green himself has had an extraordinarily successful run writing YA fiction, including the 2012 mega-bestseller The Fault in Our Stars. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026

Unlike its microfiber-and-fleece counterpart, this Marriott Shop bestseller takes advantage of a jersey makeup that feels heavy without sacrificing breathability. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

The adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s latest bestseller, Atmosphere, has landed with Black Bear for distribution. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

Laika‘s live-action feature take of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestseller Atmosphere from Captain Marvel filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck has seen its global rights scooped up by Black Bear in a competitive situation. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bestseller

• bookseller
• flagellar
• impeller
• lamellar
• micellar
• modeller
• ocellar
• patellar
• propeller
• reseller
• scutellar
• beller

Kids Definition

best-seller

noun

best-sell·​er

ˈbes(t)-ˈsel-ər

: an article (as a book) whose sales are among the highest of its kind

best-selling

-ˈsel-iŋ

adjective