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paperback

noun

pa·​per·​back ˈpā-pər-ˌbak How to pronounce paperback (audio)
Synonyms of paperbacknext
: 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.
And leave it to the Story Scouts to tell us about it in this paperback published by Anne Brataas, former Pioneer Press science writer and founder of Minnesota Children’s Press. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025 The genre’s overreliance on pulpy paperbacks is turning into a problem. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025 Then, one day, an army duffel bag of paperbacks arrived from my mother. Janet Rich Edwards, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025 His latest novel, Blue Ruin, is out now in paperback. Hari Kunzru, Artforum, 1 Dec. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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