textbook
gb/tˈɛkstbˌʊk/ us/tˈɛkstbˌʊk/
B1
English
~ 8700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
book used to study a subject
A book that teachers and students use to learn a school subject.
Usage pattern:
a textbook for [a subject]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "textbook" with "notebook". A textbook is a book you study from; a notebook is a blank book you write in. Some also think a "textbook" must be a printed book, but it can also be digital if it is designed for teaching a subject.
Synonyms
schoolbook (Very close in meaning but used less often; emphasises use in schools rather than universities.)
|
coursebook (Often used for language courses and specific classes; may include more activities than a traditional textbook.)
|
manual (A practical instruction book; not limited to school or university contexts.)
Antonyms
novel (A book of fiction for reading pleasure rather than structured study.)
Collocations
school textbook
|college textbook
|math textbook
|history textbook
|textbook publisher
|textbook chapter
Themes
education
|school
|university
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The biology textbook explains cell division with clear diagrams.
- Our economics textbook is already out of date.
- She forgot her chemistry textbook at home and had to share with a friend.
- This textbook comes with online exercises and video lessons.
- The teacher asked us to read chapter three of the textbook before class.
Learner examples
- I bought a new English textbook.
- Please open your textbooks to page ten.
- This textbook is easy to read.
- My science textbook is very heavy.
- We use the same textbook in every class.
adjective
C1
property
2
perfectly typical, like in textbooks
Being a very clear and perfect example of something, just like the examples in a textbook.
Usage pattern:
a textbook [noun] (of [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "textbook" as an adjective means "boring" or "about books". In this use, it means something is a very clear and perfect example, like examples in a school book. It is often used in the phrase "a textbook case/example (of something)".
Synonyms
classic (Suggests a well-known and very typical example; can sound slightly more informal in this use.)
|
typical (Stresses that something is normal or usual, but not always as strong as "textbook" in meaning "perfectly typical".)
|
textbook-perfect (Emphasises that something matches the ideal pattern extremely closely; slightly more informal and emphatic.)
Antonyms
atypical (Describes something that does not follow the usual or expected pattern.)
|
unusual (General opposite, focusing on being not normal or not standard.)
Collocations
a textbook case
|a textbook example
|a textbook response
|a textbook move
|a textbook mistake
|a textbook operation
Themes
description
|evaluation
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Doctors said it was a textbook case of pneumonia.
- Her reaction was a textbook example of good crisis management.
- The team executed a textbook play to score the winning goal.
- This graph shows a textbook demand-and-supply curve.
- His symptoms were so textbook that the diagnosis was immediate.
Learner examples
- The teacher said my report was a textbook example of good writing.
- This illness is a textbook case, so it is easy to see what it is.
- The police called it a textbook robbery.
- The company followed a textbook plan to enter the new market.
- Her speech was a textbook response to a difficult question.
Grammar
Dictionary form
textbook
IPA
GB/tˈɛkstbˌʊk/
US/tˈɛkstbˌʊk/
Syllables & stress
text - book (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (text)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: textbook
- Plural: textbooks
Word family
Expressions
a textbook case
1/ə tˈɛkstbˌʊk kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
very clear, typical example
A situation that is a very clear and perfect example of a certain type of problem, illness, event, or behaviour.
Examples
- It was a textbook case of food poisoning, so the doctors treated him quickly.
- The lawyer argued that this was a textbook case of discrimination.
- Financial experts say the crisis is a textbook case of what happens when regulations are too weak.
textbook answer
1/tˈɛkstbˌʊk ˈænsɚ/
fixed phrase
official, standard kind of answer
An answer that is exactly the same as, or very close to, the official answer given in a textbook, often without adding personal ideas or real-life experience.
Examples
- That was a textbook answer, but the teacher also wanted your own opinion.
- In the exam, a short textbook answer is usually enough to get full marks.
- Her reply sounded like a textbook answer, not something from real life.
textbook example
1/tˈɛkstbˌʊk ɪɡzˈæmpəl/
fixed phrase
perfectly standard example of something
A very clear and perfect example of something, exactly like the examples you might see in a school book.
Examples
- Her speech is a textbook example of how to handle bad news.
- This chart is a textbook example of exponential growth.
- The failure of the project is a textbook example of poor planning.