paperwork

1. (uncountable, usually) Routine work involving written documents.
2. (uncountable, usually) Written documents.
3. (also, excessive, figuratively, uncountable, usually) Excessive paperwork, busy work, red tape.
4. (US, slang, uncountable, usually) Court 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).
5. (countable, usually) A work in paper.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpeɪ.pɚˌwɝk/

Etymology

From paper + work.

Synonyms

clerical work

archives

busy-work

document

letter

note

records

red tape

writing

bureaucratic procedure

office work

desk jockey

record-keeping

accounting

staff-work