Paper trail

Meaning

A sequence of documents recording events.

Usage

Common in auditing, legal, and regulatory contexts.

Origin & History

Origins and dates here are approximate summaries. Many idioms have disputed or unknown origins, and not every date has been checked against a historical dictionary, so treat specific dates and stories as a starting point rather than a citation.

Paper records used to track transactions.

Became prominent as bureaucracies expanded in the 20th century.