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.

---

paperwork British  

/ ˈpeɪpəˌwɜːk /

noun

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

---

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

When Wasserman was 18 years old, he filed legal paperwork to change his last name, a decision he has said he made to distance himself from his father and align himself with his grandfather.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We cannot afford to hire lawyers, navigate complex claims processes, or spend months filing paperwork to recover money that never should have been collected.”

From MarketWatch

"It's a shame about all the laws and all of that," he told an officer, also lying to say he already had exemption paperwork for Bear, who he bought on Gumtree.

From BBC

Because most inmate releases are done during the daytime, prison staff had to be called back in to handle the paperwork and logistics of freeing an inmate.

From Salon

That's because for many Indian exporters, especially small companies, the burden of paperwork, audit risks and a lack of understanding of FTA provisions often outweigh tariff benefits.

From BBC

Related Words

• filing