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
As for the property owner — Glory of the Snow Trust, whose trustee is Andrew Sahure — paperwork issued Friday by the city’s Department of Building and Safety and shared by Park’s office stated that the department intends to revoke the demolition permits.
—
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
The setup, under different circumstances, would be comic: two men die on the same day, and, owing to a paperwork mixup at the morgue, their bodies are conveyed to each other’s families for burial.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023
In March, the government canceled a paperwork requirement in order to reduce the red tape around installing panels on existing buildings.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
Among the secretary’s responsibilities were overseeing track records, horses’ paperwork and the racing program.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
By midday Tuesday, all of the defendants had filed paperwork pleading not guilty in filings with the court and waived their rights to an arraignment hearing.
—Kate Brumback, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023
JetBlue’s customer service advised her to bring the paperwork to the airport on the day of her flight.
—Amanda Morris, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Aug. 2023
The company filed paperwork for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 25 Aug. 2023
The new rule also calls for streamlining the paperwork required to apply and reapply for child care subsidies.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2023
See More
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
The setup, under different circumstances, would be comic: two men die on the same day, and, owing to a paperwork mixup at the morgue, their bodies are conveyed to each other’s families for burial.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023
In March, the government canceled a paperwork requirement in order to reduce the red tape around installing panels on existing buildings.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
Among the secretary’s responsibilities were overseeing track records, horses’ paperwork and the racing program.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
By midday Tuesday, all of the defendants had filed paperwork pleading not guilty in filings with the court and waived their rights to an arraignment hearing.
—Kate Brumback, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023
JetBlue’s customer service advised her to bring the paperwork to the airport on the day of her flight.
—Amanda Morris, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Aug. 2023
The company filed paperwork for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 25 Aug. 2023
The new rule also calls for streamlining the paperwork required to apply and reapply for child care subsidies.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paperwork.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1899, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near paperwork
Cite this Entry
“Paperwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperwork. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
paperwork
noun
pa·per·work
-ˌwərk
: routine office or record-keeping work
More from Merriam-Webster on paperwork
Nglish: Translation of paperwork for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of paperwork for Arabic Speakers
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