What does wastebasket mean?
A wastebasket is a small basket or container for things that are no longer wanted, such as discarded paper, packaging, or other rubbish. It is especially common in homes, offices, classrooms, and other places where people need a convenient receptacle for small amounts of waste. The word belongs mainly to American and Canadian English, while British English often uses wastepaper basket, rubbish bin, or waste bin instead. In conversation and writing, wastebasket is usually neutral, although it can suggest an old-fashioned office or institutional setting when used to describe a formal or dated scene. The term is especially useful when the material being discarded is ordinary paper or minor office waste, since it distinguishes a small personal container from a larger rubbish or waste bin.
nounA small container or basket used for holding discarded paper and other rubbish, especially in a home, office, or classroom.
- A small container for discarded paper, rubbish, or other waste.
"She emptied the wastebasket before bringing the empty container to the recycling center."
"The printer was out of paper, so she kept the old receipts in the wastebasket."
"The classroom has a wastebasket beside the teacher's desk."
The regular plural is wastebaskets, pronounced with a final /s/.
"The cleaning staff replaced the wastebaskets in every office."
A wastebasket is an office's smallest graveyard—and sometimes its most valuable idea box.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wastebasket
Wastebasket is an English compound formed from waste and basket. Earlier usage commonly emphasized paper through the expression wastepaper basket, while the shorter compound wastebasket became especially established in American English. The word waste has roots in Old French and Latin, and basket comes through Old French from a Germanic and Celtic ancestry, reflecting the long development of the two components in English.
How wastebasket is actually used
In everyday American English, wastebasket is the usual term for a small receptacle for rubbish. British speakers more often use wastepaper basket or rubbish bin. The word can sound slightly institutional or dated in formal contexts.
Easily confused with wastebasket
A wastebasket is typically a small basket or container, while a wastebin is usually a larger bin used for rubbish, including in public or industrial settings.