copy

noun

\ ˈkä-pē

plural copies

Definition of copy

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an imitation, transcript, or reproduction of an original work (such as a letter, a painting, a table, or a dress)

2 : one of a series of especially mechanical reproductions of an original impression also : an individual example of such a reproduction

3 archaic : something to be imitated : model

4a : matter to be set especially for printing

b : something considered printable or newsworthy —used without an article remarks that make good copy— Norman Cousins

c : text especially of an advertisement

5 : duplicate sense 1a a copy of a computer file a copy of a gene

copy

verb

copied; copying; copies

Definition of copy (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to make a copy or duplicate of copy a document copy a computer file

2 : to model oneself on

3 in radio/military communications : to acknowledge receipt of (a message) The operator of the Titanic was busy figuring his accounts and did not bother to copy the message. A little later in the afternoon, another ship named the Baltic called the Titanic to tell her about icebergs that were in her way.— Rev. Robert P. Lawrence

intransitive verb

1 : to make a copy

2 : to undergo copying the map did not copy well

3 in radio/military communications : to acknowledge receipt and understanding of a message "Block the road with your car. Take no other action. … No resistance, do you copy? Over."— Stephen King

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about copy

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Choose the Right Synonym for copy

Noun

reproduction, duplicate, copy, facsimile, replica mean a thing made to closely resemble another. reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing. reproductions from the museum's furniture collection duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing. a duplicate of a house key copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically. printed 1000 copies of the lithograph facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale. a facsimile of a rare book replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details a replica of the Mayflower but not always in the same scale. miniature replicas of classic cars

Verb

copy, imitate, mimic, ape, mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing. copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible. copied the painting and sold the fake as an original imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation. imitate a poet's style mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation. pupils mimicking their teacher ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original. American fashion designers aped their European colleagues mock usually implies imitation with derision. mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Verb

copy, imitate, and mimic mean to make something so that it resembles something else. copy means trying to duplicate a thing as much as possible. Copy this drawing exactly. imitate means that a person uses something as an example but does not try to make an exact copy. They imitated the actions of their parents. mimic means carefully copying something (as a person's voice) often for the purpose of making fun of it. The comedian mimicked a popular singer.

Examples of copy in a Sentence

Noun

The novel has sold more than a million copies. She got a job writing advertising copy. All copy must be submitted by 5 p.m.

Verb

She copied the design on a piece of paper. Copy the file to your hard drive. The bills are designed to prevent copying by counterfeiters. We caught him copying the answers out of the book. We caught him copying out of the book. The speech was copied word for word. His music was copied widely. Their competitors soon copied the idea.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One growing area of research involves replacing the problematic gene with a copy of a functioning one. — Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, "A Vision Quest," 6 Mar. 2019 Both individual defendants have been served with copies of the lawsuit, according to court records. — Steve Vockrodt, kansascity, "Former employee accuses KC real estate firm of placing camera under her desk," 2 July 2018 The employee replied with copies of all the information — the tax documents from about 1,600 employees — authorities said. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Nigerian Man Admits Stealing $36,000 Using Glastonbury School Employees' Tax Information," 22 June 2018 At some point during those discussions, the team agreed to provide the city with a copy of the feasibility study, subject to a nondisclosure agreement. — Jessica Boehm, azcentral, "Goldwater Institute takes Phoenix to court over Phoenix Suns arena records," 12 June 2018 Thanks to @berkleypub for the free e-copy of this one. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "#ReadWithMC Reviews Fiona Barton's 'The Suspect'," 4 Mar. 2019 Get a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution, read it each year and keep it handy. — Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "Rodricks: 10 ways to be a great American citizen for the Fourth of July," 3 July 2018 For more on the triplets and the psychological experiment that changed their lives, pick up a copy of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE.com, "How Identical Triplets Were Separated at Birth by a Twisted Adoption Experiment," 29 June 2018 Provided with an advance copy of the study, an EPA spokesperson in Washington, D.C., Robert Daguillard, said the agency was looking forward to reviewing the study but did not respond to a request to speak with EPA scientists. — Warren Cornwall, Science | AAAS, "Natural gas could warm the planet as much as coal in the short term," 21 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In 1997 Arizona adopted the first state tax-credit scholarship program, which Jeb Bush as Governor of Florida copied four years later. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The School Choice Election Bonus," 13 Nov. 2018 The vlogger also came for Kylie's 30-shade concealer collection, accusing her of copying his liquid lipstick packaging. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Every Time Jeffree Star Has Publicly Feuded With the Kardashian/Jenner Family," 18 Mar. 2019 As vehicle-warranty administrator, Mr. Mort spends his time copying serial numbers, submitting warranty repair orders, tracking claims, and managing databases. — Eric Morath, WSJ, "America’s Hidden Workforce Returns," 26 Jan. 2019 This low-maintenance outfit is probably already on your closet, so if you're strapped for time, just copy Ciara's look. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "10 Instagram-Worthy Ways to Wear Boyfriend Jeans," 8 Jan. 2019 According to Ferguson’s complaint, Epic is copying videos frame-by-frame to create the dances, a case of straightforward copying. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Fortnite keeps stealing dances — and no one knows if it’s illegal," 20 Dec. 2018 No longer: Sunny Cove extends virtual addresses to 57 meaningful bits (with the top 7 bits again either all zeroes or all ones, copying bit 56), with physical memory addresses of up to 52 bits. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Intel unveils a new architecture for 2019: Sunny Cove," 12 Dec. 2018 Some user finally flagged the video to Facebook 12 minutes later, but by then it had been copied to the internet’s darker lairs. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Internet and Evil," 20 Mar. 2019 In addition to inspiring the style of thousands (okay, more like millions) of living, breathing fans, Meghan's looks are now being copied by inanimate objects. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Bloomingdale's Dresses Mannequin Like Meghan Markle on International Women's Day," 10 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'copy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for copy

copy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of copy

(Entry 1 of 2)

: something that is or looks exactly or almost exactly like something else : a version of something that is identical or almost identical to the original

: one of the many books, magazines, albums, DVDs, etc., that are exactly the same and are produced to be sold or given to the public

: written information that is to be published in a newspaper, magazine, etc.

copy

verb

English Language Learners Definition of copy (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make a version of (something) that is exactly or almost exactly like the original : to make a copy or duplicate of (something)

: to write (something) down exactly as it appears somewhere else

: to use (someone else's words or ideas) as your own

See the full definition for copy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

copy

noun

\ ˈkä-pē