paperback
gb/pˈeɪpɚbˌæk/ us/pˈeɪpɚbˌæk/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Book with a paper cover
A book with a soft paper cover, not a hard one.
Usage pattern:
[someone] buys [a paperback]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'paperback' with 'notebook', but 'paperback' refers to a published book, not blank pages for writing.
Synonyms
softcover (More technical publishing term for the same type of book.)
|
pocketbook (Mainly US informal term; can also mean a woman's handbag, so context matters.)
Antonyms
hardcover (A book bound with rigid protective covers, opposite of paperback.)
Collocations
paperback edition
|paperback book
|buy a paperback
|in paperback
|paperback copy
Themes
books
|publishing
|reading
|daily life
|education
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I bought the paperback version because it was cheaper.
- The novel will be released in paperback next month.
- She prefers reading paperbacks because they're lighter to carry.
- He found an old paperback on the train.
- This bookstore has a large selection of second-hand paperbacks.
Learner examples
- I read a paperback on the bus.
- This paperback is very cheap.
- He likes paperback books.
- She bought a paperback at the shop.
Grammar
Dictionary form
paperback
IPA
GB/pˈeɪpɚbˌæk/
US/pˈeɪpɚbˌæk/
Syllables & stress
pa - per - back (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pa)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: paperback
- Plural: paperbacks
Word family
Expressions
in paperback
1/ˈɪn pˈeɪpɚbˌæk/
fixed phrase
Available as a softcover book
When a book is sold in a soft paper cover instead of a hard cover.
Examples
- The biography is now available in paperback.
- Her first novel came out in paperback last year.