paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpā-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective
or less commonly paperbacked

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
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.
Her new novel, Villa E, about Modernist Irish designer Eileen Gray, has just come out in paperback. Jane Alison june 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025 Will be available in paperback or digitally via Amazon . Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 June 2025 There are hardcovers and paperbacks in every subject imaginable. Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2025 Many of these experiences are chronicled in her new memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, out in paperback on June 24. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for paperback

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paperback was in 1843

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Cite this Entry

“Paperback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperback. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

paperback

noun
pa·​per·​back ˈpä-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
: a book with a flexible paper binding
paperback adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on paperback

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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