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Glite Dictionary
soft-cover

soft-cover

1 3.3
A book with thin, flexible paper on the outside rather than a hard cover
  • noun
  • /ˈsɔftˌkʌvər/
translation icon : tapa blanda
  • The mistake, it seems, is rarely noticed, even though it occurs in both the hard- and soft-cover editions.
  • soft-cover edition
  • soft-cover book

So you can get this in soft cover like what I'm holding in my hand, or you can get it from Kindle in that format.

Examples

  • Available in hard and soft cover at the Blurb bookstore.

    Blog text (3)

  • So you can get this in soft cover like what I'm holding in my hand, or you can get it from Kindle in that format.

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • I went over and one of the books was a small, black, soft-cover book.

    Muse of Fire (2013)

  • So as much as I love hardcover books, I prefer soft covers for reading before bed.

  • Libraries don't like soft covers?

    Blog text (12)

  • It is comfortable to hold and does not feel slippery due to the soft cover on the back.

    Blog text (14)

  • I haven't watched the game rewind yet, so I am not sure what coverage they were in, but I am guessing it was a soft cover two.

    Blog text (18)

  • Described by reviewers on its soft cover as "magnificent" and "one of the most important philosophical works of the last quarter century," the book meanders over vast philosophical ground without necessarily breaking any.

    Academic text (1999)

  • I prefer reading novels in soft-cover editions because they are easier to hold.

  • The library has a large collection of soft-cover books available for checkout.

Synonyms

paperback
vssoft-cover
88 1.3

A book with a soft paper cover, not a hard cover

is written with a hyphen rather than as one word
paperback book
vssoft-cover
3 1.4

A book with a soft paper cover instead of a hard cover

is written with a hyphen instead of two words
softback
vssoft-cover
  • UK
1 2.8

A book with a flexible paper cover, not a hardback

is written with a hyphen rather than as one word
soft-cover book
vssoft-cover
2.5

A book with a flexible paper cover instead of a hard cover

means the same but is written with a hyphen
softback book
vssoft-cover
  • UK
2.1

A book with a soft paper cover instead of a hard cover

is written with a hyphen instead of two words
softbound
vssoft-cover
  • US
3.6

A book with a thin paper cover rather than a hard cover

is written with a hyphen rather than as one word

Antonyms

hardcover
  • US
1 3.0

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

How Hard

hardbound
1 3.5
soft-cover
1 3.3
pamphlet
79 3.1

Surface Forms

soft-cover singular
soft-covers plural

Morphology

soft-cover = soft + cover (transparent) = soft + cover

A straightforward compound whose meaning ('a cover that is soft/flexible') follows directly from the two component words.

Etymology

The word soft-cover is literal: soft means 'not hard' and cover means 'what protects or wraps a book', so a soft-cover book has a flexible paper cover rather than a stiff hardcover. That's why soft-cover editions are usually lighter and easier to carry.