bestseller

noun

best·​sell·​er ˈbes(t)-ˈse-lər How to pronounce bestseller (audio)
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 noun
best-selling adjective

Examples of bestseller in a Sentence

She has written several best sellers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the following years, the series became a New York Times bestseller, and more than 42 Pout Pout Fish books have been published. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 15 Oct. 2025 The acclaimed author of bestsellers like Something Borrowed, which inspired the 2011 movie starring Kate Hudson and Jonathan Krasinski, is back with her latest love story, out July 7, 2026. Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 Ryan’s previous novel, The Treasure Hunters Club, was an USA Today and Globe & Mail bestseller and a 2025 Edgar Award nominee. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 Her second novel, A Map of the World, was an international bestseller. Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025 Denim dressing and knitwear are expected to be bestsellers. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025 Housel is known for his bestseller The Psychology of Money, which dissects how people’s previous beliefs, behaviors, and emotions impact finances. Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025 Paul Solotaroff, investigative journalist and co-author with Bob Klapisch of the New York Times bestseller about the Yankees organization, Inside the Empire, is, at his core, a self-loathing Yankees fan from Manhattan. Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bestseller was in 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Bestseller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bestseller. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on bestseller

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