white paper

American  

[hwahyt pey-per, wahyt, hwahyt-pey-per, wahyt] / ˈʰwaɪt ˈpeɪ pər, ˈwaɪt, ˈʰwaɪtˌpeɪ pər, ˈwaɪt /

noun

white papers plural

1. paper bleached white.

2. an official governmental report.

3. an authoritative report issued by any organization.

   The TV network presented its white paper on news coverage of major crimes.

4. an official British government publication on a specific subject prepared by a committee and presented to the House of Commons, usually reporting results of a recent investigation or summarizing policy.

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white paper British  

noun

1. (often capitals) an official government report in any of a number of countries, including Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, which sets out the government's policy on a matter that is or will come before Parliament

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• white papers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of white paper

First recorded in 1560–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

white paper

In a recent white paper, Murphy predicted that internal-combustion power trains would slide to about 66% of the power-train mix, while hybrids could almost double to about 27% of that mix by 2031.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 5, 2026

A white paper released in late June by HHS shows that 19.2 million Americans were enrolled in ObamaCare plans as of February.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Days after the London meeting, they wrote the material up into a white paper for BP titled “The Stabilization Wedge: Consolidation of BP’s Environmental Leadership.”

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

In a white paper authored by Lester and Nelson, the two described the coming El Niño as a “reckoning” for the California coast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Then, just as she was turning to leave, Jinny happened to notice a slip of white paper sticking up from the side of the couch frame, pale in the dim room.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder