What does "paper" mean?
A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
Paper
/ˈpeɪ̯.pə/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
- Grammar: paper is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: composition, report, abrasives, acceptance.
- Useful contrasts: bare walls, canvas, cloth.
- Usage evidence: The student decided to abridge his paper by taking out unnecessary details.
How to use "paper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "paper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "paper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "paper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "paper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "paper" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "composition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "paper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water. countable, uncountable
"Draw on the paper! Not on the walls!"
- 2 the physical object that is the product of a newspaper publisher wordnet
- 3 Ellipsis of newspaper; anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"Read all about it in this morning's paper!"
- 4 a medium for written communication wordnet
- 5 Ellipsis of wallpaper. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
"The paperhangers had just finished hanging the paper in the dining room when the interior decorator walked in and exclaimed that it was the wrong color."
Show 18 more definitions
- 6 a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements wordnet
- 7 Ellipsis of wrapping paper. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
"In those days, you asked the butcher for a block of cheese, and he wrapped it up in paper for you."
- 8 a scholarly article describing the results of observations or stating hypotheses wordnet
- 9 An open hand (a handshape resembling a sheet of paper), that beats rock and loses to scissors. It loses to lizard and beats Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock. countable, uncountable
- 10 an essay (especially one written as an assignment) wordnet
- 11 A written document, generally shorter than a book; usually written as a school assignment or a government report. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonym: report"
- 12 a business firm that publishes newspapers wordnet
- 13 A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal (as a journal article or the manuscript for one) or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting (such as a conference, workshop, or symposium). countable, uncountable
"Their team published a paper in the leading journal of their field, and its widespread impact elevated the reputation of their university department."
- 14 a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses wordnet
- 15 A set of examination questions to be answered at one session. British, Hong-Kong, countable, uncountable
- 16 Money. countable, slang, uncountable
- 17 Any financial assets other than specie, including paper money, commercial paper, and others. uncountable
"Why might not a Government annuity, the Principal of which was originally invested in Paper since the Cash suspension in 1797, be constituted the guarantee of Paper Money, emendating from that investiture and suspension, and the Parliament authority transferred to its security, as it has been to its creation, in preference to all others, while Paper continues our general Medium."
- 18 A university course. New-Zealand, countable, uncountable
"a paper in ology"
- 19 A paper packet containing a quantity of items. countable, uncountable
"a paper of pins, tacks, opium, etc."
- 20 A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application. countable, uncountable
"cantharides paper"
- 21 A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs. countable, uncountable
- 22 Free passes of admission to a theatre, etc. countable, dated, uncountable
- 23 The people admitted by free passes. broadly, countable, dated, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To apply paper to. transitive
"to paper the hallway walls"
- 2 cover with wallpaper wordnet
- 3 To document; to memorialize. transitive
"After they reached an agreement, their staffs papered it up."
- 4 cover with paper wordnet
- 5 To fill (a theatre or other paid event) with complimentary seats. transitive
"Later, seat-filling or “papering” services cropped up, with organizations like Audience Extras, Play-by-Play,[…]"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 To submit official papers to (a law court, etc.). transitive
"As powerhouse lawyers shuttled to Cuba to meet clients and papered the federal courts with habeas corpus petitions, Guantanamo's isolation and lack of publicity, once the military's most powerful psychological weapon, was eliminated."
- 7 To give public notice (typically by displaying posters) that a person is wanted by the police or other authority. transitive
- 8 To sandpaper. transitive
- 9 To enfold in paper. transitive
- 10 To paste the endpapers and flyleaves at the beginning and end of a book before fitting it into its covers.
- 11 To cover someone's house with toilet paper. Otherwise known as toilet papering or TPing. Northeastern, US
Adjective
- 1 Made of paper. not-comparable
"At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor."
- 2 Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper) not-comparable
"paper gangster"
- 3 Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper) not-comparable
"paper engine, rocket"
- 4 Having a title that is merely official, or given by courtesy or convention. not-comparable
"a paper lord"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The student decided to abridge his paper by taking out unnecessary details."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "paper"?
Common synonyms include: composition, report, abrasives, acceptance, acceptance bill, alabaster.
How do you use "paper" in a sentence?
The student decided to abridge his paper by taking out unnecessary details.
How do you pronounce "paper"?
Pronounced /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/.
Etymology
From Middle English paper, from Anglo-Norman paper, from Old Catalan paper, borrowed from Latin papȳrus (and given the Catalan suffix -er), from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros).