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• Green Paper
  Green Paper

  noun

  a report presenting the policy proposals of the government, to be discussed in Parliament.
• green paper
  green paper

  noun

  (often capitals) (in Britain) a command paper containing policy proposals to be discussed, esp by Parliament

Green Paper

American  

noun

British.

1. a report presenting the policy proposals of the government, to be discussed in Parliament.

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green paper British  

noun

1. (often capitals) (in Britain) a command paper containing policy proposals to be discussed, esp by Parliament

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Etymology

Origin of Green Paper

First recorded in 1945–50; apparently so called from the color of the paper on which they are printed

Example Sentences

The DWP said the future of Access to Work had been consulted on as part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper and it was "currently considering" its response to it.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

On Wednesday, the government published a new Construction Products Reform Green Paper setting out possible penalties for companies found to have breached safety obligations.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025

A Green Paper - an early draft of a plan - should have been published more than a year ago but has been kicked down the line.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2018

The government has promised a Green Paper with proposals to change the way care services work will be published by the summer.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2018

That office promulgated first a Green Paper and then, after further hearings, a White Paper, on "Intellectual Property and the National Information Infrastructure."

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James