as in bookseller
one who is keenly devoted to books
a bookman since toddlerhood, he's never shown much interest in television or video games
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Recent Examples of bookman
Subsequent chapters explore great bookmen of the Renaissance, from the Florentine tradesman Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Flemish illuminator Simon Bening to the English antiquarian Sir Robert Cotton — manuscript obsessives all.
—
Bruce Holsinger, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Once asked to describe himself, McMurtry called himself a writer, a screenwriter — and perhaps most significantly, a bookman.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021
In the 1970s and ’80s, a flamboyant Texas bookman and one-time president of the ABAA named John Jenkins made money selling stolen and forged items to libraries and collectors.
—Travis McDade, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
As bookmen and women became intelligence agents, the ordinary activities of librarianship—acquisition, cataloguing, and reproduction—became fraught with mystery, uncertainty, and even danger.
—Time, 3 Jan. 2020
Books would come in monthly, 10 or 15 at a time, carefully packed as only a bookman can pack books, and Dimunation would open them, eager for the riches inside.
—Jorge Dionis, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2013
Bruce Holsinger, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Once asked to describe himself, McMurtry called himself a writer, a screenwriter — and perhaps most significantly, a bookman.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021
In the 1970s and ’80s, a flamboyant Texas bookman and one-time president of the ABAA named John Jenkins made money selling stolen and forged items to libraries and collectors.
—Travis McDade, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
As bookmen and women became intelligence agents, the ordinary activities of librarianship—acquisition, cataloguing, and reproduction—became fraught with mystery, uncertainty, and even danger.
—Time, 3 Jan. 2020
Books would come in monthly, 10 or 15 at a time, carefully packed as only a bookman can pack books, and Dimunation would open them, eager for the riches inside.
—Jorge Dionis, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookman
Noun
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The national bookseller earlier this month announced plans to open four stores in the Chicago area by summertime.—
Alicia Fabbre,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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The bookseller also opened its newest store in Orange, switching from its previous location off Main Street across the street from MainPlace Mall to the former Van’s Skate Park at the Outlets at Orange.—
Samantha Gowen,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Cincinnati is great for bibliophiles, as the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library has 41 locations, and more than 395,000 residents have library cards.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
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This poignant love letter to bibliophiles and indie booksellers is absolute catnip for readers like you.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Martin Farquhar Tupper, a poet and an antiquarian favored by Queen Victoria, argued that Rapa Nui was the remnant of a lost continent whose people had perished.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Mac antiquarians will be pleased to know that ClamXAV, K7 AntiVirus, and Panda Dome Essential all go back more than 10 years, to Yosemite (10.10).—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bookman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookman. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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