Word
bestselling
Phoneticsbest·selling
US/ˈbɛˈsɛɫɪŋ/
UK/bɛstsˈɛlɪŋ/
Definition
adj. describing a book or other product that has sold a very large number of copies. You use this to talk about things that are extremely popular with buyers.
adj. referring to a commercial product, particularly a book, that has achieved a high volume of sales relative to others in its category. Typically used attributively before a noun.
Examples
“She is a bestselling author of mystery novels.”
“The bookstore dedicated an entire front window display to the latest bestselling biography of the tech mogul.”
“While critical acclaim often eludes genre fiction, many bestselling titles manage to bridge the gap by combining accessible prose with profound social commentary that resonates with a global audience.”
Examples
simple
“She is a bestselling author of mystery novels.”
contextual
“The bookstore dedicated an entire front window display to the latest bestselling biography of the tech mogul.”
complex
“While critical acclaim often eludes genre fiction, many bestselling titles manage to bridge the gap by combining accessible prose with profound social commentary that resonates with a global audience.”
Usage
Typically placed before the noun it modifies; often written as one word, though occasionally hyphenated as 'best-selling'.
Pitfall
the most bestselling book
the bestselling book
Bestselling is often treated as a superlative itself; adding 'most' is redundant in standard usage.
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bestselling