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

True to that aim, the ARI began donating 400,000 copies of her novels to advanced placement high school programs each year. — Alexander Sammon, The New Republic, "The Last of the Ayn Rand Acolytes," 14 Aug. 2019 That pressure was tangible: Prior to each IGHSAU basketball season, from 1944 to 1964, copies of the Iowa Girls’ Basketball Yearbook were published and distributed. — Britni De La Cretaz, Longreads, "Flagrant Foul: Benching Teen Moms Before Title IX," 14 Aug. 2019 Finally, nab a ship map and a copy of the daily bulletin, which outlines the locations of and schedules for meals, activities, and entertainment. — Elissa Garay, Condé Nast Traveler, "A First-Timer's Guide to Cruising," 14 Aug. 2019 Also, many researchers, including Lovell-Badge, have criticized He’s decision to edit the CCR5 gene, which can confer protection against HIV when people are born with both copies missing. — Karen Weintraub, Scientific American, "Despite Controversy, Human Studies of CRISPR Move Forward in the U.S.," 13 Aug. 2019 And then there’s Amazon’s 19 brick-and-mortar stores around the country, which sell print copies of Amazon Publishing titles, produced via a sophisticated print-on-demand operation. — Blake Montgomery, The Atlantic, "The Amazon Publishing Juggernaut," 8 Aug. 2019 But emails obtained by IndyStar through a public records request show Brown sent Atterholt a copy of the request form the agency sent to the employment agency to hire Paul. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "Former lawmaker catches heat for secretive deal with Indiana veterans agency," 7 Aug. 2019 The Bluest Eye, for instance, had sold just 2,000 copies on its first print run. — Natasha Frost, Quartzy, "Why Oprah Winfrey wanted Toni Morrison on America’s bookshelves," 6 Aug. 2019 On Tuesday, CBS News obtained an exclusive copy of Washington Governor Jay Inslee's 10-Step Plan to halt the epidemic of White Nationalist Gun Violence, per CBS News Campaign Reporter Tim Perry. — Caitlin Conant, CBS News, "2020 Daily Trail Markers: Inside the Iowa ground game ahead of the State Fair," 6 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There's also the oldest tool that anyone who has thought of flying has ever used: copying birds. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Airbus's New Concept Passenger Plane Is for the Birds," 19 July 2019 If copying a boilerplate passage in the course of research should end a journalist’s career, what of willfully getting the story wrong, with malicious intent? — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Where’s the Outrage at the Smear of Roger Scruton?," 17 July 2019 Malicious coupon code redirects Amazon offers coupons on Prime Day, which means some scammers will copy this technique in the hope that shoppers click on their phony discount offers. — Sarah Min, CBS News, "Beware these scams on Amazon Prime Day," 15 July 2019 Ellen White took a page out of Alex Morgan's book–copying the USWNT star's tea time celebration during England's third-place clash with Sweden on Saturday. — Emily Caron, SI.com, "England's Ellen White Shades Alex Morgan With Her Own Tea Time Celebration," 6 July 2019 The first involved inventing and drawing alien fruit without copying those on Earth. — Caterina Gawrilow, Scientific American, "Are People with ADHD More Creative?," 11 June 2019 Their vibrant, layered posters, deft experimentations in QuarkXpress and Photoshop, were widely copied and became a template for avant-garde poster art. — Anne Quito, Quartzy, "A new museum dedicated to the enduring power of posters opens in New York City," 20 June 2019 Your office, facilities and the areas within (warehouse, copy/file rooms) should be in good working order to realize maximum value. — Tom Cooney And Crystal Faulkner, Cincinnati.com, "Businesswise: Pay attention to business value drivers before an exit looms," 10 June 2019 In order for a cell to build a new version of itself, DNA is first transcribed, or copied, into RNA. — Keridwen Cornelius, Scientific American, "A Shot against Cancer Slated for Testing in Massive Dog Study," 7 June 2018

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