paperwork

[pey-per-wurk]

noun

1. written or clerical work, as records or reports, forming a necessary but often a routine and secondary part of some work or job.

paperwork

/ ˈpeɪpəˌwɜːk /

noun

1. clerical work, such as the completion of forms or the writing of reports or letters

Word History and Origins

Origin of paperwork¹

First recorded in 1580–90; paper + work

Example Sentences

Because you lack any paperwork, establishing the correct basis is challenging.

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Under the program, buyers can select a vehicle and complete loan paperwork on Amazon’s website, after which they pick up their car or truck at a physical dealership.

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Many were later denied jobs, housing and NHS treatment and some were wrongly deported because the Home Office failed to keep records or issue paperwork confirming their indefinite leave to remain.

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They stopped the transport vehicle saying they had to check the paperwork for such a large amount of money.

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Rocket Mortgage has said AI is cutting paperwork processing time by 80%, saving time for employees to focus on higher level work.

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Related Words

• filing www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does paperwork mean?

Paperwork is the task of filling out forms, especially when they’re literally on paper.More generally, paperwork refers to routine clerical and administrative work like recordkeeping and processing documents (regardless of whether they’re on paper).Paperwork can be done as part of one’s job (the boring part), or in any setting that involves filling out forms, such as buying a house or a car or applying for a job. Doing so is often referred to as filling out (the) paperwork, doing (the) paperwork, or completing (the) paperwork.Paperwork is a collective noun, meaning it appears in a singular form but refers to such tasks as a group.Example: Applying for a job with the government required her to fill out an incredible amount of paperwork about her family history, education, and travel activity.