paper

1 of 3

noun

pa·​per ˈpā-pər 

1

a(1)

: a felted sheet of usually vegetable fibers laid down on a fine screen from a water suspension

(2)

: a similar sheet of other material (such as plastic)

b

: a piece of paper

2

a

: a piece of paper containing a written or printed statement : document

pedigree papers

b

: a piece of paper containing writing or print

c

: a formal written composition often designed for publication and often intended to be read aloud

presented a scholarly paper at the meeting

d

: a piece of written schoolwork

3

: a paper container or wrapper

4

: newspaper

5

: the negotiable notes or instruments of commerce

6

: wallpaper sense 1

7

: tickets

especially : free passes

8

: paperback

paper

2 of 3

verb

papered; papering ˈpā-p(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

archaic : to put down or describe in writing

2

: to fold or enclose in paper

3

: to cover or line with paper

especially : to apply wallpaper to

4

: to fill by giving out free passes

paper the theater for opening night

5

: to cover (an area) with advertising bills, circulars, or posters

intransitive verb

: to hang wallpaper

paperer

ˈpā-pər-ər 

noun

paper

3 of 3

adjective

1

a

: made of paper, cardboard, or papier-mâché

a paper bag

b

: papery

2

: of or relating to clerical work or written communication

3

: existing only in theory : nominal

a paper blockade

4

: admitted by free passes

a paper audience

5

: finished with a crisp smooth surface similar to that of paper

paper taffeta

Phrases

on paper

1

: in writing

wants these promises on paper

2

: in theory

the plan looks good on paper

3

: figured at face value

on paper the stock was worth nearly a million dollars

Synonyms

Noun

• document
• form

Adjective

• titular
• nominal
• formal

Examples of paper in a Sentence

Noun

We'll need pens, glue, and some paper.

Be sure to print the letter on good paper.

He scribbled the number on a scrap of paper.

a crumpled piece of paper

The border guards asked to see my papers.

They published a landmark paper in 1995.

The teacher was busy grading papers.

She did well on her history paper.

Adjective

Their accounts showed lots of paper profits, but they went bankrupt anyway.

there's a paper boycott of that company's products that nobody seems to be honoring

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The paper highlights how studios and third-party companies collect extensive data through gameplay, including location data, behavioral tracking and in-game communications. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

Chewed up materials Such as paper, insulation, fabric, and foam used to line a nest. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025

Verb

While the sources may have been past colleagues, and the archival papers her own work, Orlean set out to be exhaustive and exacting in charting her personal history. —Nathan Smith, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025

Shedeur-to-Travis papered quite a few cracks the last two seasons. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025

Adjective

The company’s founders initially hoped to build an e-paper laptop, the Modos Paper Laptop, which was announced in January of 2022. —IEEE Spectrum, 8 Sep. 2025

Staples, clips and other non-paper materials must be removed. —Shirley MacFarland, cleveland, 26 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English papir, from Anglo-French, from Latin papyrus papyrus, paper, from Greek papyros papyrus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing paper

• Bible paper
• blotting paper
• bog paper
• bond paper
• butcher paper
• carbon paper
• cigarette paper
• commercial paper
• commit (something) to paper/writing
• construction paper
• crepe paper
• filter paper
• funny paper
• garnet paper
• graph paper
• greaseproof paper
• green paper
• height to paper
• India paper
• kitchen paper
• laid paper
• lavatory paper
• litmus paper
• manila paper
• not worth the paper it's written/printed on
• order paper
• paper birch
• paper chromatography
• paper clip
• paper cutter
• paper knife
• paper money
• paper mulberry
• paper nautilus
• paper over
• paper over the cracks
• paper profit
• paper pusher
• paper qualification
• paper round
• paper route
• paper-thin
• paper tiger
• paper towel
• paper trail
• paper-train
• paper wasp
• position paper
• push paper(s)
• put pen to paper
• put/set pen to paper
• rice paper
• rough paper
• run-of-paper
• scrap paper
• scratch paper
• silver paper
• tar paper
• term paper
• tissue paper
• toilet paper
• tracing paper
• waxed paper
• wax paper
• white paper
• wove paper
• wrapping paper
• writing paper

Rhymes for paper

• caper
• raper
• scraper
• shaper
• taper
• vapor
• newspaper
• notepaper
• sandpaper
• skyscraper
• wallpaper
• wastepaper

Kids Definition

paper

1 of 3 noun

pa·​per ˈpā-pər 

1

a

: a thin sheet made usually from rags, wood, straw, or bark and used to write or print on, to wrap things in, or to cover walls

b

: a sheet or piece of paper

2

a

: a piece of paper having something written or printed on it

b

: a written composition

3

: newspaper

4

: wallpaper

paper

2 of 3 verb

papered; papering ˈpā-p(ə-)riŋ 

: to cover or line with paper and especially wallpaper

paper a room

paperer

-pər-ər 

noun

paper

3 of 3 adjective

1

a

: of, relating to, or made of paper or cardboard

paper carton

paper mills

b

: papery

nuts with paper shells

2

: nominal sense 1

Etymology

Noun

Middle English papir "paper," from early French papier (same meaning), from Latin papyrus "paper, papyrus" — related to papyrus

Legal Definition

paper

noun

pa·​per

1

: a piece of paper containing a written statement: as

a

: a formal written composition or document often intended for publication

the Federalist papers

b

: a document containing a statement of legal status, identity, authority, or ownership

—often used in pl. whether applying to one or more items

naturalization papers

this policy, including the endorsements and the attached papers

—Mutual of Omaha

c

: a document (as an answer, motion, or brief) prepared in furtherance of a legal action

any paper after the complaint that is required to be served…must be filed within a reasonable time after service

—Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 5(d)

2

: a document providing evidence of a financial obligation

especially : commercial paper in this entry

— accommodation paper

: commercial paper used by one party to accommodate another party

— bearer paper

: commercial paper that is freely negotiable by the holder and is made payable to bearer compare order paper in this entry

— chattel paper

: paper that sets out both a buyer's obligation to repay and a lender's or a seller's security interest in the goods bought or that contains the provisions of a lease of the goods

— commercial paper

: a usually negotiable instrument (as a note, draft, or certificate of deposit) arising out of a commercial transaction

specifically : any of the instruments constituting the obligations of a business organization that are sold as investments

— order paper

: commercial paper that is payable to order compare bearer paper in this entry