photocopy

noun pho·to·copy \ ˈfō-tə-ˌkä-pē \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of photocopy

: a copy of usually printed material made with a process in which an image is formed by the action of light usually on an electrically charged surface

See photocopy defined for English-language learners

See photocopy defined for kids

Examples of photocopy in a Sentence

She made a photocopy of the letter.

Recent Examples of photocopy from the Web

Photos only – preferably original photos (no newspaper clippings or photocopies).

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Newspaper corrections for June 1, 2018," 31 May 2018
Photos only - preferably original photos (no newspaper clippings or photocopies).

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit history: Submit your old photos for our new book!," 15 May 2018
Proof of identification, such as a driver’s license or these other qualifying documents and a photocopy of the front and back (also black and white and on 8.5 by 11-inch paper) of your identification.

— sophia gottfried, Time, "How Long Does It Take to Get a Passport? Here's What You Need to Know," 7 Mar. 2018
There were no movie theaters, bookstores, galleries or photocopy shops, so my entrepreneurial idea, which failed, was to open one, Chelsea Copy.

— New York Times, "New Yorkers and Their ’80s Routines — Block by Block," 17 Apr. 2018
All historical references are carefully elucidated in the same teacherly tone, from the House Un-American Activities Committee to the Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency to the development of photocopies and pesticides.

— ron charles, chicagotribune.com, "Jake Tapper's new thriller blows the lid off corruption in Washington," 24 Apr. 2018
Every morning, one of my co-workers drops off a package to me that contains photocopies of policyholders’ checks and other documents like address update forms.

— as told to patricia r. olsen, New York Times, "She Has Worked Hard at Her Job for 20 Years. She Has Autism.," 13 Apr. 2018
Hotak and Hossein’s brothers, Nawid and Ziarmal, stood outside their shuttered shops with white envelopes in hand, stuffed with photocopies of pictures of their slain sibling.

— max bearak, Washington Post, "A drug bust was marred by a suicide bombing in Kabul. Was it ISIS, or the ‘mafia’?," 7 Jan. 2018
Ninety-one public school districts out of 584 have reduced the school week to four days, according to Bishop, and at some schools, teachers can only make 30 photocopies a week to provide materials to all their students.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "The Next Big Battle for Worker Rights Is in Oklahoma," 8 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of photocopy

International Scientific Vocabulary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1879

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

photocopy

verb

Definition of photocopy

transitive verb

: to make a photocopy of

intransitive verb

: to make a photocopy

—

photocopier

noun

Recent Examples of photocopy from the Web

Association officials said Realtors and others in real estate, including escrow and title professionals, may encounter forged IDs when processing paperwork or photocopying a prospective client’s ID before a house showing.

— laura groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "North County Business Briefs, May 31," 31 May 2018
Sure, Charlson said, anyone can photocopy a $20 bill but that doesn’t mean it’s legal money.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "New ballots for Maryland election unlikely as state's sole paper supplier can't deliver in time," 24 May 2018
Teachers are photocopying assignments off the internet or from old workbooks because textbooks haven’t been replenished in years, North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell said.

— Time, "North Carolina Teachers March on State Capital in Mass School Walkout," 16 May 2018
Teachers are photocopying assignments off the internet or from old workbooks because textbooks haven’t been replenished in years, North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell said.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Thousands of teachers protest for more funding in N.C. capital," 16 May 2018
Teachers are photocopying assignments off the internet or from old workbooks because textbooks haven't been replenished in years, North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell said.

— emery p. dalesio and gary d. robertson, chicagotribune.com, "North Carolina teachers seeking more resources rally in streets," 16 May 2018
After Bornstein failed in several attempts to photocopy the file, one of the men asked for the original copies, which were handed to him, according to the source.

— debra goldschmidt and jason hanna, CNN, "Trump's longtime doctor faces ethical and legal questions," 2 May 2018
My father would laboriously photocopy it, deliver it to our neighbors with me.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Hearst Magazines Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles on Recode Decode," 25 Apr. 2018
Xerox's roots lie in Chester Carlson's invention of xerography, a process that made photocopying on plain paper easier, faster and cheaper than previous methods.

— alex scimecca, Fortune, "So Long, Xerox: A Look Back at the Company Whose Name Became a Verb," 31 Jan. 2018