"paper town" means a nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
paper town
(cartography) A nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others.
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(cartography) A nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others.
Numerous “paper towns” were created often in an effort to block impending municipal annexation advances by existing municipalities.
For parents
"paper town" means a nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
For ESL learners
"paper town" is informal English meaning a nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a nonexistent town included on a map in order to identify cases of plagiarism by others" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "paper town" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
US
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "paper town".
🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
See all Black culture & AAVE slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "paper town" (P)
papernpaperspaper shoppaper sonpaper thosaipaper towelpaper tradepaperworkpaper yabberpapgeldpapingopapish
Browse all slang words starting with P.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- Anytown61%
(informal) A substitute placename for an inhabited place, a city or town, with an unknown or unspecified name.
- Podunk59%
(US) A mythical small town of no importance.
- Palookaville57%
(US) An imaginary town, the natural home of the mediocre and incompetent.
- Anytown57%
(US) Any non-specific, non-notable town in the USA.
- East Overshoe56%
A placeholder for a fictitious municipality in sample documents or hypothetical situations. (This usage is similar to the way John Doe is sometimes used as a placeholder for the name of a person.).