folio: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal; technical (publishing, printing, law, art history).
Quick answer
What does “folio” mean?
a large book, manuscript, or sheet of paper made by folding a leaf only once, resulting in two leaves (four pages). Also refers to a sheet size and a page number.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
a large book, manuscript, or sheet of paper made by folding a leaf only once, resulting in two leaves (four pages). Also refers to a sheet size and a page number.
In publishing: a book or manuscript of the largest size. In finance and law: a case or folder for holding papers. In art: a general term for an expensive, large-format book, often of prints or plates. In printing: a page number.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both follow the same core definitions. The legal/financial usage ('a case or file') might be slightly more common in Commonwealth legal contexts.
Connotations
Generally carries connotations of importance, formality, size, and historical value.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech. High frequency in specific professional domains like rare book dealing, libraries, printing, and some legal/financial offices.
Grammar
How to Use “folio” in a Sentence
[be] + in folio[be] + bound in folio[publish/print] + in folio[keep/file] + in a folio[consult] + the folioVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “folio” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The library's prized possession is a 17th-century herbal in folio.
- Solicitor, please ensure the witness statements are added to the trial folio.
- The page was marked 'folio 45r'.
American English
- The auction featured a first folio of Audubon's 'Birds of America'.
- The accountant requested the client's tax folio from last year.
- The folio is missing from this manuscript.
verb
British English
- The clerk will folio the new pleadings and add them to the bundle.
American English
- The manuscript has been foliated by a modern archivist.
adjective
British English
- It's a magnificent folio atlas, nearly a metre tall.
American English
- The artist produced a series of folio-sized lithographs.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a client file or investment portfolio (e.g., 'The Smith account folio is on your desk.').
Academic
Used in library science, book history, and textual criticism to describe early printed books or manuscripts by their format (e.g., 'The First Folio of Shakespeare's plays, 1623').
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used when referring to a large, expensive art or photography book.
Technical
In printing: a specific sheet size. In law: a specific numbered case file. In accounting: a page in a ledger.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “folio”
- Using 'folio' to mean any book (it implies large size/specific format).
- Confusing 'folio' (page number) with 'page' itself.
- Pronouncing it /fɒˈliːoʊ/ (incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
These are book sizes based on how many times a large sheet of paper is folded. Folio (1 fold = 2 leaves), Quarto (2 folds = 4 leaves), Octavo (3 folds = 8 leaves). Folio is the largest.
Not in everyday conversation. It's a specialist term used in publishing, printing, libraries, law, finance, and the antique book trade.
Yes, especially in the context of manuscripts, early printed books, or legal documents, 'folio' (often abbreviated 'f.' or 'fol.') can refer to the page number itself, not just the sheet size.
It is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623 in folio format. It is one of the most important books in English literature, as it preserved 18 plays that might otherwise have been lost.
a large book, manuscript, or sheet of paper made by folding a leaf only once, resulting in two leaves (four pages). Also refers to a sheet size and a page number.
Folio is usually formal; technical (publishing, printing, law, art history). in register.
Folio: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfəʊlɪəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfoʊlioʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Folio society (proper noun: a publishing house known for high-quality illustrated books)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FOLIage of pages, but only one large leaf (FOLIo) folded in half to make a grand, important book.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR VALUE/IMPORTANCE (A folio contains valuable texts or financial records); PHYSICAL SIZE IS STATUS (Larger format implies greater importance).
Practice
Quiz
In a legal context, a 'folio' most likely refers to: