paperwork

noun

pa·​per·​work ˈpā-pər-ˌwərk 

: routine clerical or recordkeeping work often incidental to a more important task

Examples of paperwork in a Sentence

She failed to file the paperwork on time.

The lawyer had us fill in the paperwork for the mortgage.

Recent Examples on the Web

And new sanctions also take time and a lot of paperwork. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025

According to her paperwork, Oakley is a Black-handed spider monkey, a subspecies of the Mexican spider monkey, commonly found in the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, according to Fischer. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 16 Dec. 2025

That's good, because next year, even the EU will require a little paperwork for visitors. —Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025

And there are many instances, beyond immigration paperwork, when a pen could come in handy during your travels. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paperwork

• bodywork
• handiwork
• ironwork
• latticework
• masterwork
• metalwork
• needlework
• openwork
• overwork
• subnetwork
• artwork
• beadwork

Kids Definition

paperwork

noun

pa·​per·​work -ˌwərk 

: routine office or record-keeping work