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

So, 30 applications out of the millions of different pieces of paperwork that come to USCIS. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026

Documents, notifications, and legal steps Serving as an executor involves a significant amount of paperwork and administrative work. —Nancy Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026

When entered into the software, the paperwork travels through multiple language models trained by hundreds of questions related to HOAs and becomes sorted into categories and ratings across four pages. —Amancai Biraben, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026

Gillum had left the state before police could draft paperwork to involuntarily commit him for psychiatric treatment, Lyons said. —Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

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