white paper

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of white paper

First recorded in 1560–70

Example Sentences

During a spring trip to the Bahamas, days after Fink and Koh shared a white paper describing their new business idea with a potential investor, they began negotiating a pre-seed investment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

The hearings are ostensibly intended to gather information, all of which will be summarized in a white paper being written by researchers at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Algorhythm Holdings —formerly the Singing Machine Co.— published a white paper claiming its AI technology could make trucking more efficient.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

And on Monday, the company claimed that the platform had shown a 70% reduction in empty trucking miles, based on a white paper.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

He clapped his hands once and a single sheet of clean white paper fluttered to the floor.

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster