paper
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.thin material made from wood or cloth used for writing, printing, or drawing.
n.a thin sheet material produced by the compression of cellulose fibres, typically used as a substrate for writing, printing, or packaging.
Simple“He took a clean sheet of paper to start writing his letter.”
In context“The artist experimented with various weights of handmade paper to see how the different textures absorbed the heavy ink.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the material in general; countable when referring to a single sheet.
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
n.a set of large printed sheets containing news, published every day or week.
n.a daily or weekly publication containing news, advertisements, and correspondence.
Simple“I usually read the paper while I have my morning coffee.”
In context“Local papers have struggled to maintain their circulation figures as digital news platforms become the primary source of information for younger demographics.”
UsageOften used with the definite article 'the' in a generic sense.
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a formal piece of writing about a particular subject for school or a scientific journal.
n.a formal written composition, often reporting original research or scholarly analysis, intended for publication or academic assessment.
Simple“She has to finish her history paper by Monday morning.”
In context“The professor published a groundbreaking paper on climate change that challenged several long-held assumptions in the field of meteorology.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the set of questions you have to answer in an exam.
n.a set of examination questions to be answered in a single timed session.
Simple“The chemistry paper was much harder than I expected.”
In context“Candidates are instructed not to turn over the exam paper until the invigilator signals the start of the session.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
n.a slang word for money, especially cash.
n.a slang term for currency or financial wealth.
Simple“He's only doing that job because he wants to make some serious paper.”
In context“In certain urban subcultures, the pursuit of paper is a central theme in both music and daily life.”
- 06 A1 Beginner
adj.made out of paper material.
adj.constructed or consisting of paper.
Simple“We used paper plates for the picnic to make cleaning up easier.”
In context“The architect designed a temporary pavilion using recycled paper tubes as the primary structural support.”
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.existing only in writing or on a plan, but not in real life.
adj.existing in theory or on a document but not in reality or practice.
Simple“The team looks good on paper, but they haven't won a game yet.”
In context“While the merger resulted in a significant paper profit, the company's actual cash flow remained dangerously low.”
Synonyms - 08 B1 Intermediate
v.to put decorative paper on the walls of a room.
v.to cover a surface, typically an interior wall, with decorative paper.
Simple“We decided to paper the bedroom instead of painting it.”
In context“The renovators spent the weekend learning how to paper the hallway without leaving visible seams between the patterned sheets.”
UsageOften used as 'paper over' in a figurative sense to mean hiding a problem.
Usage paper published · paper notes · paper titled
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.