paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpā-pər-ˌbak 

: a book with a flexible paper binding

paperback adjective

or less commonly paperbacked

ˈpā-pər-ˌbakt 

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

During the war, the U.S. military printed more than a million tiny paperback books for men to carry into battle, called Armed Services Editions. —Martha Hall Kelly, People.com, 16 May 2025

For pre-trip reading, Alanen offers a 433-page oversized paperback packed with information about the big lake’s 154-mile coastline between Duluth and the Canadian border via the North Shore Scenic Drive. —Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025

The paperback edition of the resulting novel — which follows the opening night of The Manor, a bucolic but ultimately cursed luxury resort — hits bookstores on May 6. —Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2025

And finally, Sloane Crosley tells us about the joys of paperback books. —Air Mail, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paperback

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback
• stickleback

Kids Definition

paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpä-pər-ˌbak 

: a book with a flexible paper binding

paperback adjective