paper trail

American  

noun

1. a written or printed record, as of transactions or judicial opinions, especially when used to incriminate someone.

---

Etymology

Origin of paper trail

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

For one, he doesn’t have the provocative paper trail that Dhillon has.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Christie’s specialist Giada Damen, who spent months retracing its paper trail and showing it to Michelangelo experts, said this foot wound up with a Swiss diplomat whose family held onto it for generations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

With no paper trail from a hospital birth, none of the trio will ever be able to trace their mother.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

That way, if the item “ends up being stolen and the cops show up at your door, you have a paper trail showing you did your due diligence and are not liable,” Ross said.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 21, 2025

It sounded like Jesse didn’t have much of a paper trail to bring to the admissions committee, however.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• argument
• clue
• confirmation
• criterion
• data
• demonstration
• information
• picture
• reason
• testament
• testimony
• validation
• verification