text·book
ˈteks(t)-ˌbu̇k 
: 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
: of, suggesting, or suitable to a textbook
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
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Dec. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Bears look like textbook mammals, but hidden in their evolutionary history are two dramatic departures from the standard blueprint of growth and adaptation.
—New Atlas, 2 Dec. 2025
Scott Huver, PEOPLE.com, 1 July 2022
But for some of these patients, the cause of their seemingly textbook mental issues isn’t from an anomaly of brain chemistry or function, but from Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S.
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for textbook
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Noun
Such a discovery would rewrite physics textbooks, perhaps even explaining the mysterious dark matter that binds galaxies together.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Dec. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Bears look like textbook mammals, but hidden in their evolutionary history are two dramatic departures from the standard blueprint of growth and adaptation.
—New Atlas, 2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Guyton, the second Black woman to host A Capitol Fourth after Vanessa Williams, recognizes that her own swift and dramatic rise to stardom after years of dues-paying and nearly quitting performing entirely is a textbook American success story.
—Scott Huver, PEOPLE.com, 1 July 2022
But for some of these patients, the cause of their seemingly textbook mental issues isn’t from an anomaly of brain chemistry or function, but from Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S.
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for textbook
Cite this Entry
“Textbook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textbook. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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