Word.ws English Dictionary

pamphlet

Syllables: panph·let/ˈpæmflɪt/US/ˈpæmflɪt/

pamphlet noun: a small, brief printed work, consisting either of a folded sheet of paper, or several sheets bound together into a booklet with only a paper cover, formerly containing literary compositions, newsletters, and newspapers, but now chiefly informational matter.

Noun

pamphlet (plural pamphlets)

  1. A small, brief printed work, consisting either of a folded sheet of paper, or several sheets bound together into a booklet with only a paper cover, formerly containing literary compositions, newsletters, and newspapers, but now chiefly informational matter.
    • His gayeſt flooriſhes are but Gaſcoignes Weedes, or Tarletons trickes, or Greenes crankes, or Marlowes bravadoes; his jeſts, but the dregges of common ſcurrilitie, or the ſhreds of the Theater, or the of-ſcouring of new pamflets: […]1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey], Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame, London: […] Iohn Wolfe...
    • I happened, I know not how, to ſay that a pamphlet meant a proſe piece. [Samuel] Johnson. "No, Sir. A few ſheets of poetry unbound are a pamphlet, as much as a few ſheets of proſe." [Samuel] Musgrave. "A pamphlet may be underſtood to mean a poetical piece, in Weſtminſter-Hall, that is in formal...1791, James Boswell, “[1778]”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume II, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC, page 243
  2. (specifically) Such a work containing political material or discussing matters of controversy.
    • So far is it from the kenne of theſe wretched projectors of ours that beſcraull their Pamflets every day with new formes of government for our Church.1642 (indicated as 1641), John Milton, “That Church-governement is Prescrib’d in the Gospell, and that to Say Otherwise is Unsound”, in The Reason of Church-governement Urg’d against Prelaty […]...
    • […] Miniſters are ſo wiſe to leave their Proceedings to be accounted for by Reaſoners at a Diſtance, who often mould them into Syſtems, that do not only go down very well in the Coffee-Houſe, but are Supplies for Pamphlets in the preſent Age, and may probably furniſh Materials for Memoirs and...1714 (date written), [Jonathan Swift], Some Free Thoughts upon the Present State of Affairs. […], Dublin; London: […] T. Cooper, […], published 1741, →OCLC, page 3
  3. (obsolete) A brief handwritten work.
    • Christ now to Thee I crye of mercy and of grace and graunt of Thy goodnes to every maner reder ful understandyng in this leude pamflet to have, and let no man wene other cause in this werke that is verily the soth.[c. 1385, Thomas Usk, chapter IX, in R. Allen Shoaf, editor, The Testament of Love (Middle English Texts) (in Middle English), Kalamazoo, Mich.: […] [F]or TEAMS (The Consortium for the Teaching of...
    • And heere I cast vnto my purpoos / Out of Frenssh a tale to translate, / Which in a paunflet I radde & sauh but late.[a. 1410?, John Lydgate, “The Churl and the Bird”, in Henry Noble MacCracken, editor, The Minor Poems of John Lydgate […] (Original Series; 192), part II (Secular Poems) (in Middle English), London...

Verb

pamphlet (third-person singular simple present pamphlets, present participle pamphleting or pamphletting, simple past and past participle pamphleted or pamphletted)

  1. (transitive) To distribute pamphlets (to someone or some place).
    • Is not This a Seaſonable and Wholeſome Doctrine, d'ye think, to publiſh to the Multitude at this time of day, when they are Preacht and Pamphletted into Tinder already; And the Leaſt ſpark hazzards the Putting of 'em All in a flame?1682 July 15 (Gregorian calendar), Roger L’Estrange, The Observator, number 165, London: […] Joanna Brome […], →OCLC, page [2], column 1
    • We are pamphleted on the subject until we are weary.1886 June, “Touch and Technic. A Few Stray Thoughts.”, in Theodore Presser, editor, The Etude: A Monthly Publication for Teachers and Students of the Piano-forte, volume IV, number 6, Philadelphia...
  2. (archaic, transitive) To write about (someone or something) in a pamphlet; to issue (some material) in the form of a pamphlet.
    • How many Honourable, and Loyall Gentlemen; Nay the Flower of the Nobility, have been Pamphleted up and down the Nation like ſo many Shrewing-Cocks, for every Cur to lift up his Leg and Piſs againſt; as the Betrayers of the Liberties of the Nation, when, Effectually, they were next under God...1683 October 27 (Gregorian calendar), Roger L’Estrange, The Observator, number 422, London: […] Joanna Brome […], →OCLC, page [2], column 1
    • This Diſcourse being Pamphleted about, to Court, City and Country, open'd a door to the Reformation intended, and ſhut out all thoſe prejudices it might lie under from the State, and Religion of Fore-fathers, &c.1716, Myles Davies, “Of the Pamphlets Writ by and about the Learned Courtiers and Favourites in King Henry the 8th’s Court and Camp, that Deceas’d in His Reign, not Spoken of in the First Part”, in...
  3. (intransitive) To distribute pamphlets.
    • Five Swarthmore students, including Wittman, were arrested and fined thirty-four dollars each for pamphleting in February.2007, Wesley C. Hogan, “SNCC Teaches SDS How to Act”, in Many Minds, One Heart: SNCC’s Dream for a New America, [U.S.A.]: ReadHowYouWant.com, published 2011, →ISBN, page 249
  4. (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To write or produce pamphlets.
    • […] Had you not beene ſo forvvard in the republiſhing of it, you ſhold haue had certayne Epiſtles to Orators and Poets, to inſert to the later end; As, namely, […] to the Ghoſt of Robert Greene, telling him, vvhat a coyle [tumult] there is vvith pamphleting on him after his death.1592, Thomas Nash[e], “A Priuate Epistle of the Author to the Printer”, in Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC
    • Two ſorts of mad-men trouble the ſtationers ſhops in Paules Church-yard: they that out of a Meere and Idle vaine-glory will euer be Pamphleting (tho their bookes beeing printed are ſcarſe worth ſo much Browne paper), and this is a very poore, and fooliſh ambition: […]1609, Thomas Dekker, “Lanthorne and Candle-light. Or, The Bell-man’s Second Nights-walke. […] The Second Edition, […]: To the Verry Worthy Gentleman Maister Francis Mustian of Peckham”, in Alexander...

pamphlet meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali

pamphlet in Hindi

small, brief printed work, consisting either of a folded sheet of paper, or several sheets bound together into a booklet with only a paper cover — see also booklet, flyer, leaflet, brochure, prospectus
पर्चा parcā

pamphlet in Tamil

துண்டு வெளியீடு

pamphlet in Urdu

small, brief printed work, consisting either of a folded sheet of paper, or several sheets bound together into a booklet with only a paper cover — see also booklet, flyer, leaflet, brochure, prospectus
پَرْچَہ parcā

pamphlet in Bengali

প্যামফ্লেট, প্যামফলেট
More languagesFewer languages
pamphlet in Malayalam
ലഘുലേഖ, ഗ്രന്ഥിക, ചെറുപുസ്തകം, പ്രചരണപത്രിക
pamphlet in Kannada
ಕಿರುಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ, ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, ಕರಪತ್ರ, ಕೈಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ
pamphlet in Punjabi
ਪੈਂਫਲੇਟ, ਪੈਂਫਲਿਟ
pamphlet in Gujarati
ચોપાનિયું copāniyũ
pamphlet in Nepali
पर्चा parcā
pamphlet in Arabic
مَنْشُور manšūr, كُرَّاسَة kurrāsa
pamphlet in Malay
risalah
pamphlet in Indonesian
pamflet, opuscolo
pamphlet in Persian
جزوه jozve
pamphlet in Thai
จุลสาร jun-lá-sǎan

Examples of pamphlet in a sentence

  • I happened, I know not how, to ſay that a pamphlet meant a proſe piece. [Samuel] Johnson.1791, James Boswell, “[1778]”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume II, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for...
  • I think there was one written about 1840: a book or pamphlet about its first settlement," he presently said from the farther end of the room.1917, Edith Wharton, chapter I, in Summer […], New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 18:
  • For example, a pamphlet or booklet series is accessible to more people at one time than a bound volume.1980 fall, Gail M. Martin, “A Guide to Setting Up a Career Resource Information Center”, in Melvin C. Fountain, editor, Occupational...
  • They particularly like pamphletting the funerals of dead German soldiers, writing in the voice of the recently deceased.2015, Jessa Crispin, “Jersey Island/Claude Cahun”, in The Dead Ladies Project: Exiles, Expats & Ex-countries, Chicago, Ill.; London...

All 34 example sentences with pamphlet

Forms of pamphlet

Noun
pluralpamphlets
Verb
third-person singular presentpamphlets
present participlepamphleting
present participlepamphletting
past participlepamphleted
pastpamphleted
past participlepamphletted
pastpamphletted

Plural of pamphlet: pamphlets

Origin of pamphlet

The noun is derived from Late Middle English pamflet, pamphilet (“short written text; small book; tract”) [and other forms], from Middle French Pamphilet (compare Late Latin (Anglo-Latin) pamfletus, panfletus, paunflettus (“short written text”), Old French Panfilès), a popular shorthand for the 12th-century Latin love poem Pamphilus, seu de amore (Pamphilus, or On Love): the widely circulated pamphlets then gave this name to the whole phenomenon. Pamphilet is derived from Latin Pamphilus, the name of a protagonist of the poem + Middle French -et (suffix forming diminutive masculine nouns); while Pamphilus is from Ancient Greek Πάμφιλος (Pámphilos, literally “beloved by all”), from παν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all; every’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to protect; to shepherd”)) + φῐ́λος (phĭ́los, “beloved, dear”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰil- (“decent; friendly; good; harmonious”)). For the Middle French and Old French use of the suffix -et to form shorthands for the titles of works, compare Middle French Avionet (“the fables of Avianus”) from Avianus; Middle French Catonet, Old French Chatonnet, Chatonez (“the Distichs of Cato”) from Caton (they were...

Words formed from pamphlet

Questions about pamphlet

What does pamphlet mean?
Pamphlet means a small, brief printed work, consisting either of a folded sheet of paper, or several sheets bound together into a booklet with only a paper cover, formerly containing literary compositions, newsletters, and newspapers, but now chiefly informational matter.
What is pamphlet in Hindi?
Pamphlet in Hindi is पर्चा (parcā). See Pamphlet meaning in Hindi.
How do you use pamphlet in a sentence?
I happened, I know not how, to ſay that a pamphlet meant a proſe piece. [Samuel] Johnson.
What part of speech is pamphlet?
Pamphlet can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce pamphlet?
Pamphlet is pronounced /ˈpæmflɪt/ (UK).
What is the plural of pamphlet?
The plural of pamphlet is pamphlets.

Words near pamphlet in the dictionary

  1. pamphilid
  2. pamphilids
  3. pamphiliid
  4. pamphiliids
  5. Pamphill
  6. pamphlet
  7. pamphletary
  8. pamphleted
  9. pamphleteer
  10. pamphleteered
  11. pamphleteering

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pamphlet (page history and authors); pamphlet (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pamphlet (Bengali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); pamphlet (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pamphlet (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pamphlet (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); ચોપાનિયું (Gujarati) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-pamphlet.wav.

Cite this entry: “pamphlet.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/pamphlet. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.