textbook
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Textbook, coursebook, manual, primer, and workbook all refer to books used for learning, but differ in purpose and scope. A textbook is the broadest term — a complete reference for studying a subject, with explanations and exercises. A coursebook is a type of textbook designed to match one specific course or syllabus, common in British English. A manual is practical and step-by-step, teaching how to do something (e.g. a car repair manual) rather than teaching a subject. A primer is an elementary textbook for complete beginners, covering the very basics. A workbook contains exercises and practice activities but typically lacks explanatory text — meant to supplement a textbook. For example, a French learner might buy a textbook for grammar explanations, but a workbook for writing practice.
Common collocations
Nouns
- textbook author
- textbook publisher
- textbook chapter
- textbook edition
- textbook price
Phrases
- by the textbook
- according to the textbook
- outside the textbook
Prepositions
- in a textbook
- from a textbook
- out of a textbook
- based on a textbook
Etymology
The word comes from text (written content, from Latin 'textus' meaning 'woven thing' or 'written work') + book (from Old English 'bōc', originally a writing tablet). The compound textbook first appeared in the mid-1700s meaning a book used for formal study. In the mid-1900s, English speakers began using it as an adjective to describe something so perfectly typical that it could appear in a textbook as an example — for instance, 'a textbook landing' for a perfectly smooth plane descent.