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
Synonyms
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
Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
To press the florals, lay out blooms and greenery from your bouquet on clean wax paper in a heavy book like an encyclopedia or textbook.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
Encyclopedia articles and textbooks underscore the fact that the cerebellum’s function is to control body movement.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
History textbooks have been altered to extol the virtues of the war, basic military training is now part of the curriculum for high school seniors, and public spaces are filled with posters summoning Russian men to join the army.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
He was found bloodied under a blanket on the floor, his skull split open, the lead pipe used to beat him left beside an American history textbook on the bed at their home in Arcadia.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
This pompous behavior is a textbook trait of NPD.1
6.
—Catherine Dibenedetto, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
Related article The Maine gunman was a ‘textbook case’ for a state law designed to remove firearms from people like him.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
Your situation is a textbook example of how discriminatory pay gaps operate.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2022
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
The vegan ramen was originally developed for Afuri’s Portland, Ore., location with the goal of being a lighter, decidedly non-textbook option.
—Flora Tsapovsky, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Sep. 2021
When she was discovered, her gender identity was conflated with her identity as a criminal, which is totally textbook.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Aug. 2021
Having a bunch of Boomers in a closed environment for long periods of time isn’t exactly textbook social distancing.
—Chuck Carlton, Dallas News, 15 Mar. 2020
Noun
Recently, a young law student on a train asked Preston to sign her textbook.
—Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
To press the florals, lay out blooms and greenery from your bouquet on clean wax paper in a heavy book like an encyclopedia or textbook.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
Encyclopedia articles and textbooks underscore the fact that the cerebellum’s function is to control body movement.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
History textbooks have been altered to extol the virtues of the war, basic military training is now part of the curriculum for high school seniors, and public spaces are filled with posters summoning Russian men to join the army.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
He was found bloodied under a blanket on the floor, his skull split open, the lead pipe used to beat him left beside an American history textbook on the bed at their home in Arcadia.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
This pompous behavior is a textbook trait of NPD.1
6.
—Catherine Dibenedetto, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
Related article The Maine gunman was a ‘textbook case’ for a state law designed to remove firearms from people like him.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
Your situation is a textbook example of how discriminatory pay gaps operate.
—Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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
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
The vegan ramen was originally developed for Afuri’s Portland, Ore., location with the goal of being a lighter, decidedly non-textbook option.
—Flora Tsapovsky, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Sep. 2021
When she was discovered, her gender identity was conflated with her identity as a criminal, which is totally textbook.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Aug. 2021
Having a bunch of Boomers in a closed environment for long periods of time isn’t exactly textbook social distancing.
—Chuck Carlton, Dallas News, 15 Mar. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'textbook.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near textbook
Cite this Entry
“Textbook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textbook. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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