leaflet

leaflet — noun

IPA/ˈliːflət/
KK[lˈiflət]IPA/ˈliːflət/
  • leafletsingular
  • leafletsplural

1. A single or folded printed sheet, given out without charge, that provides inform

1.nounB1
Definition

A single or folded printed sheet, given out without charge, that provides information about an event, product, service, or cause or urges people to support it.

Example

The hospital gives out a leaflet about flu vaccinations every autumn.

collocation: give out a leaflet

Roya picked up a leaflet for the music festival at the train station.

collocation: pick up a leaflet

Common collocations
  • give out a leaflet
  • hand out a leaflet
  • pick up a leaflet
  • produce a leaflet
  • design a leaflet
  • distribute leaflets
  • information leaflet
  • promotional leaflet
  • campaign leaflet
  • a leaflet about/on something
Synonyms
  • flyer

    Less formal; typically a single unfolded sheet rather than a folded one

  • pamphlet

    Usually contains more text and detail, often educational or political

  • brochure

    Glossier, more professionally designed; common for travel and marketing

  • handout

    Given out at classes, meetings, or events; may be just a few pages stapled together

Usage Note

Leaflet is often used interchangeably with flyer, though a flyer usually refers to a single unfolded sheet, while a leaflet may be folded into several panels.

Common Mistakes

I received a leaflet by email.
I received a leaflet in the post.
A leaflet is a physical printed sheet, not a digital document.

leaflet — verb

IPA/ˈliː.flət/
KK[lˈiflət]IPA/ˈliː.flət/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Leaflet, flyer, pamphlet, brochure, and handout all describe printed materials that give information, but they differ in format and purpose. A leaflet is usually a single or folded sheet given away free, often for advertising or public information. A flyer is more informal and typically a single unfolded sheet — think of a club night flyer handed out on a street corner. A pamphlet has more pages and contains detailed information, often on a serious topic like health or politics. A brochure is glossy and professionally designed, used mainly in travel and marketing to present products attractively. A handout is any printed paper given out at a class, meeting, or event, and it may be as simple as a photocopied page. If you are advertising a local bake sale, a flyer or leaflet works best; for a holiday resort, you would use a brochure.

flyer ↗pamphlet ↗brochure ↗handout ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Old English (lēaf)French (-elet suffix)English

Leaflet was formed in English around the 1780s by adding the diminutive suffix -let (from French -elet) to leaf (from Old English lēaf), giving the literal meaning 'a small leaf'. The sense of a printed sheet of paper emerged in the mid-1800s, based on the idea that a paper leaflet looks like a small leaf from a book. The verb meaning 'to hand out leaflets' developed in the early 20th century alongside the growth of political campaigning and commercial advertising.