term paper

American  

noun

• term papers
  plural

1. a long essay, report, or the like, written by a student as an assignment over the course of a term or semester.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• term papers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of term paper

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

term paper

Shortly before he allegedly opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he emailed a document to family members that read like a term paper, including a “rebuttals to objections” section.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

Will Bunch for The Philadelphia Inquirer: Why Yale’s term paper on what’s wrong with college gets a ‘D-’

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026

In fairness, the “American Masters” installment is a tribute, not a term paper — and it’s a splendid homage at that.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but as a young film student trained to think of movies as something to be solved in a term paper, Lynch once frustrated me immensely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025

I did a term paper on the history of jazz in Chicago when I was in eighth grade.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements