絶版

• Reading: ぜっぱん
• Romaji: zeppan
• Kanji breakdown: 絶 (zetsu) — cut off, cease; 版 (pan) — printing, edition
• Pronunciation: /ze.p.pa.ɴ/

Meaning

Out of print; discontinued publication. The status of a book or edition that is no longer being produced by its publisher.

A publishing term. When a book goes 絶版 (zeppan ni naru), the publisher has permanently ceased printing it. Unlike 品切れ (shinagiire — out of stock), 絶版 implies a definitive end to production. Out-of-print titles must be sought in secondhand bookshops or accessed through digital archives. The term can carry a tone of cultural loss when a significant work becomes permanently unavailable.

Examples

1. その翻訳書はすでに絶版になっており、古書店でしか入手できない。 That translated book is already out of print and can only be obtained at secondhand bookstores.
2. 絶版になった名作が電子書籍として復刊されるケースが増えている。 There are increasing cases of out-of-print masterpieces being reissued as e-books.
3. 大学の授業で指定されたテキストが絶版で困った。 I was in trouble because the textbook assigned for my university course was out of print.

Usage Guide

Context: publishing, bookselling, libraries

Tone: informational

Origin & History

From 絶 (zetsu — to cut off, to end) and 版 (han/pan — printing block, edition). The compound literally means 'the printing has been cut off,' reflecting the original sense of 版 as a woodblock used for printing books.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal