paperwork

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpeɪpərwɜːrk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈpeɪpɚˌwɝk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(pā′pər wûrk′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pa•per•work /ˈpeɪpɚˌwɜrk/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. clerical work not in itself important but still a necessary part of some job.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pa•per•work  (pā′pər wûrk′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. written or clerical work, as records or reports, forming a necessary but often a routine and secondary part of some work or job.
  • paper + work 1580–90

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
paperwork /ˈpeɪpəˌwɜːk/ n
  1. clerical work, such as the completion of forms or the writing of reports or letters
'paperwork' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
penpusher - snow - amount - bookwork - paper chase
Collocations: get through the paperwork, get going on the paperwork, a [stack, lot, pile] of paperwork (to get through), more...

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