term paper

American  

noun

1. a long essay, report, or the like, written by a student as an assignment over the course of a term or semester.

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Etymology

Origin of term paper

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

In fairness, the “American Masters” installment is a tribute, not a term paper — and it’s a splendid homage at that.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

Any undergraduate who scribbled such gibberish in a history or poli-sci term paper would be advised to switch majors.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2025

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but as a young film student trained to think of movies as something to be solved in a term paper, Lynch once frustrated me immensely.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

He had been barred from leaving the building during the raid, which meant he was unable to get home and finish a term paper.

From BBC • May 1, 2024

Then Joe would go home and find his seventh grader on the World Wide Web researching a term paper, using open protocols, and looking at the holdings of some art museum in France.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman