Book
A book is a written, printed, or digital work of substantial length that is usually bound or otherwise packaged for reading.
A book is a written, printed, or digital work of substantial length that is usually bound or otherwise packaged for reading. In common use, the term also refers to the physical object containing the text, and it can describe divisions of longer works or other record-keeping uses in specialized contexts. Books have long served as a durable medium for preserving and transmitting knowledge, literature, and information.
Definition and physical form
A book is generally a long written or printed work that is bound or packaged for reading, most often as a codex with pages and a cover. Modern usage also includes digital books and other electronically delivered texts. Books may be printed on paper or published in electronic form as ebooks.
Historical and publishing context
Books have long served as a durable medium for preserving and transmitting knowledge, literature, and information. In publishing statistics, international bodies have sometimes used page-count thresholds to distinguish books from shorter printed works. UNESCO’s statistical definition of a book is a non-periodical printed publication of at least 49 pages, excluding covers.
Related meanings of the word
The term "book" has several related senses beyond a literary work. In business contexts, "books" can mean financial records or official records. The word is also used as a verb meaning to reserve something or to register information in an official record.
Classification by content
Books are commonly grouped into fiction and nonfiction, and they also include reference works, textbooks, manuals, and other forms of informational or artistic writing. The term can cover both standalone works and parts of larger works, such as the books of the Bible.
Key facts
- A book is a written, printed, or digital work of substantial length, usually bound or assembled for reading.
- Books may be printed on paper or published as ebooks.
- UNESCO defines a book statistically as a non-periodical printed publication of at least 49 pages, excluding covers.
- The word also refers to financial records in business or major divisions of long works.
- Books are classified into fiction, nonfiction, reference, and other categories.
Books are a core part of Canadian publishing, education, libraries, and literary culture, and Canadian readers encounter the term in both everyday reading and formal publishing statistics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a book?
Can a book be electronic?
What is the difference between a book and a volume?
What does “the books” mean in business?
How is a book defined for statistics?
References
- Merriam-Webster — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookSupports: Definitions of book as a written work, bound pages, a long composition, financial records, standards, and the verb forms meaning to reserve or register.
- Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/BookSupports: General description of books as written works, physical objects, fiction/nonfiction categories, and modern forms including ebooks.
- Britannica Dictionary — https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/bookSupports: Definitions of book as a printed written work, e-book, set of pages in a cover, and financial records.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/book-publicationSupports: Book as a published work of literature or scholarship and UNESCO statistical definition.
- Cambridge Dictionary — https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bookSupports: Definitions of book as a text in print or electronic form, physical pages in a cover, and verb senses such as reserving.