edition

edition — noun

1. one of several differently produced forms of a printed work. Each form may diffe

1.nounB1
Definition

one of several differently produced forms of a printed work. Each form may differ from earlier ones in content, design, or physical format.

Example

The library keeps a first edition of Austen's novel in a locked glass case.

collocation: first edition

Ingrid bought the paperback edition because it cost half the price of the hardcover.

collocation: paperback edition / hardcover edition

Common collocations
  • first edition
  • paperback edition
  • hardcover edition
  • revised edition
  • special edition
  • digital edition
  • illustrated edition
  • limited edition
  • new edition
  • collector's edition
Synonyms
  • version

    a broader term that can apply to anything modified; less specific to published works than edition

  • imprint

    refers more narrowly to the publisher's details printed in a book, not the form of the work itself

  • format

    focuses on physical shape or digital file type rather than the content version; e.g. hardcover vs paperback format

Grammar Patterns

[ordinal/descriptive] + edition + of + [work]

Usage Note

Often preceded by a descriptive adjective or ordinal number to indicate the type or sequence of the version, e.g. first, paperback, revised, collector's.

Common Mistakes

I bought the new version of the dictionary.
I bought the new edition of the dictionary.
'version' is more general; 'edition' is the correct term for a specific published form of a book or newspaper.

2. a single programme in a regular series on radio or television, such as a news br

2.nounB1
Definition

a single programme in a regular series on radio or television, such as a news broadcast, talk show, or documentary

Example

Caio missed last night's edition of the news programme because his train arrived late.

collocation: [time] edition of [programme]

The Saturday edition of the radio show features interviews with local musicians and artists.

collocation: [day] edition + of + [programme]

Common collocations
  • morning edition
  • evening edition
  • late edition
  • Sunday edition
  • weekend edition
Synonyms
  • episode

    more common for fictional series or serialised stories; 'edition' is preferred for news, factual, or magazine-style programmes

  • broadcast

    refers to the act or medium of transmission rather than a specific numbered instalment in a series

Grammar Patterns

[time/day] + edition + of + [programme name]

Usage Note

Commonly paired with a time of day (morning/evening edition) or day of the week (Sunday edition) to distinguish one broadcast from another in a series. Not used for individual scenes within a programme.

3. a single dated or numbered copy of a regularly published newspaper, magazine, or

3.nounB1
Definition

a single dated or numbered copy of a regularly published newspaper, magazine, or other periodical

Example

Ari found an old newspaper edition from the day his parents married.

collocation: edition of [newspaper]

The Sunday edition of the magazine has a popular crossword puzzle on the final page.

collocation: [day] edition

Common collocations
  • [day] edition
  • morning edition
  • special edition
  • current edition
  • back edition
  • overseas edition
Synonyms
  • issue

    almost interchangeable with 'edition' for print publications; 'issue' is slightly preferred for magazines, while 'edition' is more common for newspapers

  • number

    emphasises the sequential numbering of a publication; more formal and less common in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

[day/time] + edition + of + [publication]

Usage Note

This sense covers print periodicals only (newspapers, magazines, comics). For broadcast programmes such as news or talk shows, see sense 2. 'Edition' in this sense emphasises the dated or numbered copy in a series, not the content version.

4. the total number of copies of a book, newspaper, or magazine that are printed to

4.nounB2
Definition

the total number of copies of a book, newspaper, or magazine that are printed together at one time

Example

The first edition of the newspaper printed only three thousand copies for its launch.

collocation: first edition

A limited edition of just five hundred signed copies went on sale yesterday morning.

collocation: limited edition

Common collocations
  • print run
  • limited edition
  • first edition
  • signed edition
  • numbered edition
Synonyms
  • print run

    explicitly refers to the quantity printed in one batch; more precise for this meaning than 'edition' alone

  • impression

    a technical term in publishing for a single printing of a book; less common in everyday language

Grammar Patterns

[number] + edition + of + [copies]

Usage Note

This sense refers to the quantity of copies produced, not the content version. 'First edition' in this sense means the first print run; in sense 1 it means the first version of the text. Context clarifies which meaning is intended.

Common Mistakes

The edition of five thousand copies.
The print run of five thousand copies.
When the focus is specifically on the number of copies, 'print run' is more precise and avoids confusion with other meanings of 'edition'.

5. one occurrence of a regularly repeated event, such as a festival, sports competi

5.nounB2
Definition

one occurrence of a regularly repeated event, such as a festival, sports competition, conference, or cultural fair, identified by its year or sequence number

Example

The 2024 edition of the film festival attracted directors from over twenty different countries.

collocation: [year] edition of [event]

Hassan won a silver medal at this year's edition of the national chess championship.

Common collocations
  • annual edition
  • [year] edition
  • this year's edition
  • [ordinal] edition
  • local edition
Synonyms
  • instance

    more general and neutral; lacks the sense of a planned, recurring event that 'edition' conveys

  • iteration

    often used in technical or organisational contexts to emphasise successive versions of a process or event

Grammar Patterns

[year/ordinal] + edition + of + [event]

Usage Note

Used with years (2023 edition), ordinals (third edition), or descriptors (this year's edition). Common for festivals, conferences, tournaments, and cultural events. Does not apply to one-time events.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Edition specifically refers to the form in which a published work is produced, typically distinguished by content changes, design, or physical format (e.g. paperback edition, revised edition). Version is far broader — it can apply to any modified form of anything, from software to a story, and lacks the publishing-industry precision of edition. Imprint is narrower: it refers to the publisher's name and details printed in a book, or by extension a publishing brand (e.g. Penguin Classics imprint). Format describes the physical shape, size, or digital file type of a publication, but not its content version. In practice: 'the film version of the novel' (adaptation, not an edition) vs 'the hardcover edition of the novel' (publishing form).

version ↗imprint ↗format ↗edition ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • first edition
  • limited edition
  • special edition
  • new edition
  • paperback edition
  • hardcover edition
  • revised edition
  • digital edition
  • collector's edition
  • expanded edition
  • annotated edition
  • critical edition

Adverbs

  • newly published
  • freshly printed
  • recently revised
  • originally released

Phrases

  • edition of the newspaper
  • edition of the magazine
  • edition of the programme
  • edition of the book
  • edition of the festival

Prepositions

  • in edition
  • of the edition
  • from the edition

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Edition comes from Latin 'editio', meaning 'a bringing forth or publishing', which derives from the verb 'edere' (to give out, produce, or put forth). The Latin 'editio' was formed from 'e-' (out) + 'dare' (to give). The word entered English in the mid-1500s, originally referring to the act of publishing a text. By the 1600s it had shifted to refer to the specific form or version of what was published — the sense we most commonly use today.