paperwork

American  

[pey-per-wurk] / ˈpeɪ pərˌwɜrk /

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.

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paperwork British  

/ ˈpeɪpəˌwɜːk /

noun

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

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of paperwork

First recorded in 1580–90; paper + work

Example Sentences

But lingering regulatory ambiguity has kept many firms based in the country from formally registering there, opting instead to file paperwork in places such as Singapore and Dubai.

From Barron's

Let’s make sure we have all the proper paperwork and stuff done before we do anything like go on a vacation, you know, let’s get this done now and get it done proper.

From Los Angeles Times

A motorist found himself facing a £20,000 bill for missed toll payments after an apparent paperwork error.

From BBC

In emails and on other paperwork, he uses the title chief adviser to the secretary.

From The Wall Street Journal

The restaurant added it had, "in good faith repeatedly adapted our systems, significantly expanded our paperwork, and engaged external food safety specialists to develop bespoke... frameworks tailored specifically to our operation".

From BBC

Related Words

• filing