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

Manhunt is an adaptation of a nonfiction bestseller about the hunt for President Lincoln’s killer in 1865, and Menzies plays Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War and the lead detective—of a kind—in the search for the man who pulled the trigger, John Wilkes Booth. —Vogue, 19 July 2024

Vance's book, a bestseller when it was released in 2016, has skyrocketed back to the top of bestseller lists. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 18 July 2024

Starting in 1960, when his comedy monologue recordings became bestsellers, Newhart ushered in a new style of comedy that did not have its roots in the Borscht Belt or vaudeville but was instead based on observation and psychology. —Carmel Dagan, Variety, 18 July 2024

By Tuesday, which was Amazon Prime Day, the book had maintained a top slot on the bestseller list. —Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 17 July 2024

The next 48 hours are a great time to stock up on some of the cult-favorite brand’s bestsellers. —Carina Finn, Bon Appétit, 17 July 2024

All About William Tell From 2009 to 2013, the star also released a series of young adult novels; L.A. Candy and Sweet Little Lies both became New York Times bestsellers. —Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 14 July 2024

His 1987 bestseller Presumed Innocent was followed by the 1990 The Burden Of Proof. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 July 2024

Don’t miss our 37 Amazon bestsellers during Prime Day. —Kristi Arnold, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

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