Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
📕 A paperback book 📕 With a soft cover
softcover

softcover

1 3.2
Having a soft, flexible cover like a paperback book
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɔːftˌkʌvər/
translation icon : tapa blanda
  • She prefers softcover books because they are lighter and easier to carry.

Examples

  • The second collection of Golden Age covers will likely be softcover to match the first.

    Blog text (4)

  • I guess I'm handicapped by my somehow not really giving a shit whether the books I buy are hard- or softcover...

    Blog text (4)

  • SPACEHAWK is still softcover, but then again we decided to make it BIG.

    Blog text (4)

  • The new novel will be published in softcover, making it more affordable for readers.

  • Many students buy their textbooks in softcover editions to save money.

Synonyms

paperbacked
vssoftcover
3.5

Bound with a thin paper cover rather than a hard cover

is broader, meaning a soft flexible cover rather than a rigid one
paperbound
vssoftcover
3.9

A book with a paper cover instead of a hard cover

is used for any book with a soft flexible cover, not a hard cover

Antonyms

hardcover
  • US
1 3.0

A book with a thick, stiff cover that protects the pages

How Flexible

paperback
1.6
softcover
1 3.2
hardback
8 3.2

Surface Forms

softcover positive

Morphology

softcover = soft + cover (transparent) = soft + cover

The meaning is a direct combination of 'soft' + 'cover', denoting a cover that is not hard, which is a straightforward concept for learners.

Etymology

Softcover comes from soft meaning 'not hard' and cover meaning 'thing that covers'. So a softcover book has a flexible paper cover, like a 'paperback', and is lighter and often cheaper.