textbook

noun

text·book | \ ˈteks(t)-ˌbu̇k

Definition of textbook

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a book used in the study of a subject: such as

a : one containing a presentation of the principles of a subject

b : a literary work relevant to the study of a subject

textbook

adjective

Definition of textbook (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, suggesting, or suitable to a textbook especially : classic a textbook example of bureaucratic waste

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about textbook

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of textbook in a Sentence

Noun

one shelf in my bookcase is crammed full of my old college textbooks

Adjective

a textbook example of a film that captures the feel of the novel on which it is based

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But in Trump’s mouth, the words were just words, like those of a substitute grammar school teacher reading from the textbook to fill the time and distract the kids. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "At his ‘Salute,’ a rote performance from a president who didn’t mean what he said," 5 July 2019 These are the real, honest accounts—not a page from a textbook recalling events at a remove. — Aaron Schnoor, WSJ, "The Great War Produced Some Great Poetry," 9 Nov. 2018 The United States Geological Survey counts 169 potentially active volcanoes in the country — some of them straight-from-the-textbook conical mountains topped with craters, and others that hardly look the part at all. — Alan Blinder, New York Times, "It’s Not Just Hawaii: The U.S. Has 169 Volcanoes That Could Erupt," 14 May 2018 Approved the $4,000 purchase of textbooks for a new Oceanography course to be taught starting in the 2019-20 school year. — James Faris, latimes.com, "La Cañada Unified classified employees given raises; district’s financial picture ‘comfortable’," 19 June 2019 The rewriting of textbooks, the public discussion—what? — The New Yorker, "Ta-Nehisi Coates Revisits the Case for Reparations," 10 June 2019 Other costs, such as room and board, have also been held constant, and the price of textbooks has fallen by about 30%. — Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, "College Bloat Meets ‘The Blade’," 14 Dec. 2018 Instead, the world’s largest passenger plane exposed dysfunction inside the European aerospace company and now offers a textbook case of a company misjudging its market and losing big. — Daniel Michaels, WSJ, "How Airbus’s A380 Went From Wonder to Blunder," 19 Feb. 2019 Think of the dry, informative diagrams in your high school biology textbook. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "A different sort of scan in ‘The Beautiful Brain’," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'textbook.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.