paper trail

pa·per trail

P p

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pey-per treyl]
- /ˈpeɪ pər treɪl/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pey-per treyl]
- /ˈpeɪ pər treɪl/

Definitions of paper trail words

noun paper trail a written or printed record, as of transactions or judicial opinions, especially when used to incriminate someone. 1
noun paper trail systematic documentation 1
singular noun paper trail Documents which provide evidence of someone's activities can be referred to as a paper trail. 0
noun paper trail written evidence or records of someone's activities 0
noun paper trail a series of records, consisting variously of correspondence, diaries, financial records, etc., that may serve as evidence as of a person's actions 0

See all 5 definitions of paper trail

Information block about the term

Origin of paper trail

First appearance:

before 1975

One of the 1% newest English words

First recorded in 1975-80

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Paper trail

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Paper trail

paper trail popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 40% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 57% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

paper trail usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for paper trail

noun paper trail

certification — a document attesting the truth of a fact or statement
documentation — the use of documentary evidence.
grabber — a person or thing that grabs.
lowdown — the real and unadorned facts; the true, secret, or inside information (usually preceded by the): We gave them the lowdown on the new housing project.
wherefore — Archaic. for what? why?

All 5 Synonyms of paper trail