copy

play

noun \ ˈkä-pē \

Definition of copy

plural copies

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

4 a :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 1a

a copy of a computer file

a copy of a gene

See copy defined for English-language learners

See copy defined for kids

Examples of copy in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of copy from the Web

On Hilton’s bookshelf, for example, are a selection of the For Dummies series, (Nutrition, Pilates, Poker, and The Bible), as well as a copy of Valley of the Dolls.

— carine lavache, Cosmopolitan, "Yes, Paris Hilton Has a Giant Portrait Made Up of Tiny Photos of Herself," 22 Aug. 2017
The resulting book, Moonwalk, sold 500,000 copies and snagged the top spot on the New York Times best-seller list in 1988.

— nancy bilyeau, Town & Country, "How Jackie Kennedy Became a Powerful Book Editor After Leaving the White House," 18 Aug. 2017
To order additional copies or to reserve your space for the Making A Difference 2018 Nonprofit Guide, please email us at nonprofit@sduniontribune.com or call us at (619) 293-2456 for more information.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Non Profit Guide," 18 Aug. 2017
But only an 1850 copy of that daguerreotype exists today, which is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "Oldest Surviving Photograph of a U.S. President Has Surfaced," 18 Aug. 2017
Can't wait to see which other must-copy moments tonight brings!

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Teen Choice Awards 2017: Lucy Hale Wears Neon Red Smoky Eye Makeup," 13 Aug. 2017
Rubin wrote, according to three attorneys who read copies of the decision.

— carol rosenberg, miamiherald, "Guantánamo judge cancels U.S. video feed of terrorist’s time-capsule testimony," 11 Aug. 2017
Orland Township residents may also take a paper copy appeal to the assessor's satellite office in the Markham or Bridgeview Courthouse or mail it through the Post Office to be postmarked by the August 28, deadline.

— laura hinderman, Daily Southtown, "Welcome back to back-to-school season," 8 Aug. 2017
A recent National Academies of Sciences report on gene editing additionally considers a scenario where one parent carries two copies of a dominant genetic mutation, ensuring 100 percent inheritance of the mutation without gene editing.

— james kath, Scientific American Blog Network, "Brave New World? Not Even Close," 2 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of copy

Middle English copie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin copia, from Latin, abundance — more at copious

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

copy Synonyms

Synonyms

carbon, carbon copy, clone, dummy, dupe, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, imitation, mock, reduplication, replica, replication, reproduction

Antonyms

archetype, original, prototype

Related Words

counterfeit, fake, forgery, knockoff, phony (also phoney), rip-off, rubber stamp, sham; miniature, mock-up, simulation; reconstruction, re-creation; image, likeness, semblance, shadow; impression, imprint, print; approximation, reincarnation, version; extra, reserve, spare

Synonym Discussion of copy

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

copy

verb

Definition of copy

copied; copying

transitive verb

1 :to make a copy or duplicate of

copy a document

copy a computer file

2 :to model oneself on

intransitive verb

1 :to make a copy

2 :to undergo copying

the map did not copy well

See copy defined for English-language learners

Examples of copy in a Sentence

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 of copy from the Web

Reality Winner is charged with copying a classified report and mailing it to an online media organization.

— russ bynum, The Seattle Times, "Ex-contractor in leak case wants FBI admission suppressed," 30 Aug. 2017
Reality Winner, a former Air Force linguist who held a top-secret security clearance, worked as a government contractor in Augusta, Georgia, until she was charged with copying a classified report and mailing it to an online news organization.

— Washington Post, "Ex-contractor in leak case wants FBI admission suppressed," 30 Aug. 2017
C.E.O. Mark Zuckerberg has responded by using that data to crush his competitors, acquiring, imitating, or otherwise neutralizing any rival start-up—like group video-chatting app Houseparty, which Facebook recently copied.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Facebook Is Facing a Demographic Time Bomb," 22 Aug. 2017
But many counterfeiters have moved beyond just making knockoffs to copying everything about a brand, short of the entire name.

— sui-lee wee, New York Times, "New Balance Wins $1.5 Million in Landmark China Trademark Case," 22 Aug. 2017
Collins points out that medievalists studying copying errors in manuscripts have long used the same phylogenetic programs that evolutionary biologists use to study how DNA mutations appear over time.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "Sampling DNA From a 1,000-Year-Old Illuminated Manuscript," 8 Aug. 2017
Motor enzymes are constantly moving around the crowded DNA streets of every living thing to copy or repair genetic code, a process called molecular traffic.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Traffic," 7 Aug. 2017
For years, Maduro has been copying the Castro brothers’ sovereign-rights rhetoric.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "Despite U.S. label of ‘dictator,’ Nicolás Maduro digs in deeper in Venezuela," 1 Aug. 2017
Bell initially copied the entire board on her request, and Sentance replied to all who were included on her initial email.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "Leave Montgomery schools alone, Sentance tells board member," 21 July 2017

First Known Use of copy

14th century

copy Synonyms

Synonyms

clone, copycat, duplicate, imitate, reduplicate, render, replicate, reproduce

Antonyms

originate

Related Words

counterfeit, fake, forge, knock off, rip off; mimic, simulate; reconstruct, re-create

Near Antonyms

create, imagine, initiate, invent

Synonym Discussion of copy

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

COPY Defined for English Language Learners

copy

play

noun

Definition of copy for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of copy for English Language Learners

: 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

COPY Defined for Kids

copy

play

noun \ ˈkä-pē \

Definition of copy for Students

plural copies

1 :something that is made to look exactly like something else :duplicate

a copy of a letter

a copy of a painting

2 :one of the total number of books, magazines, or papers printed at one time

She owns a copy of a popular atlas.

3 :written material to be published

copy

verb

Definition of copy for Students

copied; copying

1 :to make a duplicate of

2 :imitate 1

Synonym Discussion of copy

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.

Learn More about copy

See words that rhyme with copy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for copy Spanish Central: Translation of copy Nglish: Translation of copy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of copy for Arabic speakers

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copy

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COPY Defined for English Language Learners

copy

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copy

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copy

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