trade book

noun

1
: a book intended for general readership
2

Examples of trade book in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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All this turmoil represented a huge reversal in fortune for Diamond, which grew from modest beginnings to become the sole distributor for periodical comic books, and a major distributor of games, trade books and other collectibles, from the late 1990s. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 During his tenure, the company’s trade book division won at least a half-dozen Pulitzer Prizes. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 8 June 2023 Since its initial publication, the project has already taken two new forms: an adult trade book and a children’s picture book, both of which were published in 2021. Jake Silverstein, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2023 Three-quarters of trade book revenue last year derived from hardcover and paperback sales, according to the Association of American Publishers. Karen Heller, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Dec. 2022 That trend continued, with over $1.1 billion worth of comics sold through the trade book channel in 2021, nearly equaling the total of all comics sold through all channels in 2019. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 5 July 2022 These include decreases from .75 cents to $2.70 in the cost of sixth-through-eighth-grade Language Arts trade books and a .50 increase in kindergarten periodical subscriptions. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 21 Jan. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade book was in 1870

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Cite this Entry

“Trade book.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20book. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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