Reliée

Reliée is a French term used in bibliographic and bookbinding contexts to describe a book that has been bound with a cover and binding, as opposed to being unbound or loose pages. The feminine form reliée corresponds to the masculine relié and is used after a noun, for example, une édition reliée or un volume relié. The noun reliure refers to the binding itself, the process or result of binding a book.

In libraries and the book trade, the designation relié indicates a hardcover or otherwise bound edition, typically with a protective cover and a durable spine. This contrasts with édition brochée (softcover or paperback) and with volumes issued without a formal binding. Bindings vary by material and style, including full leather binding (pleine reliure), cloth- or leather-covered boards, and decorative elements such as gilding on the spine or endpapers. In catalogues, the term may be accompanied by qualifiers such as demi-reliure (half binding) or reliure anglaise (English binding) to indicate specific binding traditions.

Historically, binding practices evolved from simple coverings on parchment and boards in the medieval period to more elaborate coverings in the early modern era and to mass-produced bindings in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the term reliée remains a neutral descriptor in bibliographic records, distinguishing bound editions from unbound or lightly bound formats.

Related terms include reliure (binding) and édition reliée versus édition brochée (softcover).