textbook

1 of 2

noun

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

textbook

2 of 2

adjective

: of, suggesting, or suitable to a textbook

especially : classic

a textbook example of bureaucratic waste

Synonyms of textbook

Noun

• handbook
• text
• manual

Adjective

• classic
• exemplary
• model
• definitive

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

For decades, that adjustment made computers a textbook case of falling prices, until the artificial intelligence buildout pushed prices up. — Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Students have saved nearly $60 million in textbooks, and now 46 degree programs have zero textbook costs along the way. — Jared Polis, Denver Post, 30 July 2026

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

At the same time, solutions borrowed from textbook European nation-states are unlikely to serve us well. — Samuel Goldman, The Week, 22 Sep. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1725, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1860, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing textbook

• textbook case/example

Rhymes for textbook

• betook
• casebook
• chapbook
• checkbook
• chinook
• codebook
• cookbook
• fishhook
• forsook
• guidebook
• handbook
• logbook

Kids Definition

textbook

noun

text·​book

ˈteks(t)-ˌbu̇k

: a book used in the study of a subject