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 bestseller comes in dozens of colors and patterns, including everything from sleek black to eye-catching leopard print. — Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2026

The company’s first product was the Ruffle Power Pareo, which can be worn as a pareo or a skirt and remains one of their bestsellers. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Yarros‘ 2023 New York Times bestseller The Fourth Wing is part of the author‘s The Empyrean book series, which also includes installments Iron Flame (2023) and Onyx Storm (2025). — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

From a buying perspective, a bestseller is not necessarily the most spectacular piece on the runway. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Oct. 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