paperwork

noun

pa·​per·​work ˈpā-pər-ˌwərk How to pronounce paperwork (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When your pet needs care, contact your insurer — most require some notice or paperwork to start the process. — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 29 June 2026 Court paperwork shows Deshong is facing charges of harassment, indecent assault and stalking. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The fact is the Original 13 state keeps some paperwork under lock and key for 100 years to everyone except the participants. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 July 2026 The complaint argues that CMS’s rule risks turning those medical realities into paperwork disputes. — Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for paperwork

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paperwork was in 1899

Rhymes for paperwork

See All Rhymes for paperwork

Browse Nearby Words

paper-white narcissus
paperwork
paperworker
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paperwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperwork. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

paperwork

noun
pa·​per·​work -ˌwərk How to pronounce paperwork (audio)
: routine office or record-keeping work

More from Merriam-Webster on paperwork

Nglish: Translation of paperwork for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All