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

The front of the store will be stocked with bestsellers and new releases, so head back to the section with books that seem like they’d be shelved or displayed next to yours and take a look at the shout-outs in the final pages. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Carry-on There’s a reason this is an Amazon bestseller. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2026

The Vegetable Ramen with spinach noodles and tofu and bell pepper, meanwhile, is an unexpected bestseller ($18). —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026

As four albums by Bowie return, two of his popular collaborations become bestsellers as well. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Flowy and romantic, with puff sleeves and ruffled tiers, the boho bestseller comes in a wide range of colors and patterns, and is blissfully under $50. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 20 Jan. 2026

Treat your space to a cottagecore makeover with Piglet in Bed’s signature gingham—a look that’s a brand bestseller for a reason. —Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 20 Jan. 2026

Recognition Beyond the Page Readers who enjoy contemporary urban fantasy stories about families dealing with supernatural threats have embraced Hebert’s writing, landing his novel on several bestseller lists. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026

The bestseller author, who worked on the adaptation with the rest of the creative team, was happy to update her novels for the new series. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 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