paperwork

P3A1P3E1R1W4O1R1K5
/ˈpeɪ.pɚˌwɝk//ˈpeɪ.pɚ.wɚk/

noun

Routine work involving written documents.

“do paperwork”

CommonScrabble 20

Meanings

nounpaperwork (usually uncountable, plural paperworks)

plural paperworks · alternative paper work · alternative paper-work

  1. uncountableusuallyRoutine work involving written documents.

    do paperwork

  2. uncountableusuallyWritten documents.

    The source stated that the alleged victims wanted the paperwork released after the settlement, but with names and identifiers removed.

    2016 September 1, Ellie Kaufman, “University of Kentucky sues student newspaper over sexual assault case”, in CNN, archived from the original on 08 Nov 2016
  3. alsoexcessivefigurativelyuncountableusuallyExcessive paperwork, busy work, red tape.
  4. USslanguncountableusuallyCourt documents or pre-sentencing investigation reports detailing the prisoner's criminal history (usually in the context of discerning whether an inmate has been charged for sex-related offenses or is likely to be an informant).

    to have bad paperwork

    to be charged with sex-related offenses or to likely be an informant

  5. countableusuallyA work in paper.

    Rob Moore is nationally and internationally known for his painting and for his paperworks.

    1989 March 30, “Gallery 410”, in Connector, Lowell, Mass.: University of Lowell, page 8, column 3
    5 more examples

    Greatly you haue boaſted of, and much threatned theſe two places, (for euery later paperwork of yours is but a Tautology of the former) […]

    1599, “Prov[erbs] 14. 3. In the mouth a foole is the rod of pride.”, in Master [Hugh] Broughtons Letters, […] Answered in Their Kind, London: […] [Felix Kingston for] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC, section 9, page 32

    However, except for few experimental paperworks by Jackson Pollock on paper made by Douglass Howell and occasional prints, usually woodcuts or wood engravings on Japanese paper, it is only in the late 1950s and early 1960s that editions of prints on beautiful handmade papers began appearing, published by Tatyana Grosman at the Universal Limited Art Editions on Long Island.

    1978 March, Robert Flynn Johnson, “History of Experimentation in Paper”, in Paulette Long, Robert Levering, editors, Paper—Art & Technology: The History and Methods of Fine Papermaking with a Gallery of Contemporary Paper Art, San Francsico, Calif.: World Print Council, published 1979, 2nd printing (1981), →ISBN, “Experimental Approaches to Paper in Art: A Panel Discussion” section, page 88, column 1

    In listing dimensions for the paperworks, height precedes width, followed by depth; and dimensions for multi-unit pieces are for the entire work.

    1986, Jane Glaubinger, “Note”, in Paper Now: Bent, Molded, and Manipulated, Cleveland, Oh.: The Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, →ISBN, copyright page

    His [Joseph Roberson’s] cast sculptural paperworks have been exhibited extensively in the United States, as well as in Thailand and Vietnam.

    1998, Michael Durgin, editor, Hand Papermaking, volumes 13–14, Washington, D.C.: Hand Papermaking, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 40, column 1

    Having practised as a sculptor and ceramicist for many years, I became more and more interested in paperworks and artist’s books.

    1999, UK Fine Press Book Fair, Catalogue of Exhibitors: Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 13–14 November 1999, [Lastingham, North Yorkshire]: Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, →OCLC, page 18

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

Translations

Arabic أَوْرَاق
  • أَوْرَاق (ʔawrāq)written documents
Bulgarian пи́смена ра́бота
  • пи́смена ра́бота (písmena rábota)work involving written documents
Catalan paperassa, paperada
  • paperassawork involving written documents
  • paperadawork involving written documents
Chinese Mandarin 文件, 文書 /文书
  • 文件 (wénjiàn)written documents
  • 文書 /文书 (wénshū)written documents
  • 公文 (gōngwén)written documents
  • 文書工作 /文书工作 (wénshū gōngzuò)work involving written documents
  • 公文處理 /公文处理 (gōngwén chǔlǐ)work involving written documents
  • 文書處理 /文书处理 (wénshū chǔlǐ)work involving written documents
Esperanto paperoj
  • paperojwork involving written documents
Finnish paperityöt, paperisota
  • paperityötwork involving written documents
  • paperisotawork involving written documents
French tâches administratives
  • tâches administrativeswork involving written documents
German Papierkram, Schreibarbeit
  • Papierkramexcessive paperwork
  • Schreibarbeitwork involving written documents
  • Papierkramwork involving written documents
Indonesian kertas kerja, kertas kerja
  • kertas kerjawritten documents
  • kertas kerjawork involving written documents
Italian documentazione, fascicolo
  • documentazionewritten documents
  • fascicolowritten documents
  • lavoro di documentazionework involving written documents
Japanese 事務処理, 文書業務
  • 事務処理 (jimushori)work involving written documents
  • 文書業務 (monjo gyōmu)work involving written documents
Korean 서류 작업, 문서 업무
  • 서류 작업 (seoryu jageop)work involving written documents
  • 문서 업무 (munseo eommu)work involving written documents
Malay kertas kerja, kertas kerja
  • kertas kerjawritten documents
  • kertas kerjawork involving written documents
Norwegian Bokmål papirarbeid
  • papirarbeidwork involving written documents
Polish papiery, papierkowa robota
  • papierywritten documents
  • papierkowa robotaexcessive paperwork
  • papierologiaexcessive paperwork
  • papierkowa robotawork involving written documents
  • papierologiawork involving written documents
Portuguese papelada, papelada
  • papeladawritten documents
  • papeladaexcessive paperwork
  • papeladawork involving written documents
Russian бума́ги, докуме́нты
  • бума́ги (bumági)written documents
  • докуме́нты (dokuménty)written documents
  • канцеля́рщина (kanceljárščina)excessive paperwork
  • канцеля́рская рабо́та (kanceljárskaja rabóta)work involving written documents
  • делопроизво́дство (deloproizvódstvo)work involving written documents
Spanish papeleo
  • papeleowork involving written documents
Swedish pappersarbete, pappersjobb
  • pappersarbetework involving written documents
  • pappersjobbwork involving written documents
Ukrainian папе́ри, докуме́нти
  • папе́ри (papéry)written documents
  • докуме́нти (dokuménty)written documents
  • канцеля́рська робо́та (kanceljársʹka robóta)work involving written documents
Vietnamese công việc giấy tờ
  • công việc giấy tờwork involving written documents

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

paperwork. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paperwork

MLA

“paperwork.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paperwork. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paperwork,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paperwork.

Source: paperwork on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.