pirate

1 of 2

noun

pi·​rate ˈpī-rət 

: one who commits or practices piracy

piratical

pə-ˈra-ti-kəl 

pī-

adjective

piratically

pə-ˈra-ti-k(ə-)lē 

pī-

adverb

pirate

2 of 2

verb

pirated; pirating

transitive verb

1

: to commit piracy on

2

: to take or appropriate by piracy: such as

a

: to reproduce without authorization especially in infringement of copyright

b

: to lure away from another employer by offers of betterment

intransitive verb

: to commit or practice piracy

Synonyms

Noun

• buccaneer
• privateer
• freebooter
• corsair
• raider

Verb

• seize
• steal
• confiscate
• grab
• convert
• usurp

Examples of pirate in a Sentence

Noun

the famous pirate Jean Lafitte

A software pirate made bootleg copies of the computer program.

Verb

He was accused of pirating their invention.

using pirated software that was subject to copyright

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, the very same ruling condemned Anthropic for its alternative sourcing method: using pirate websites. —Douglas B. Laney, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

In the early 1900s, long before smartphones and selfie sticks, tourists flocked to Yellowstone National Park — not for the geysers or scenery, but for a grotesque show: A nightly spectacle of grizzly bears raiding cafeteria scraps from open-pit landfills like desperate, starving pirates. —Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025

Verb

The complaint against Microsoft came a day after a California federal judge ruled that Anthropic made fair use under U.S. copyright law of authors' material to train its AI systems but may still be liable for pirating their books. —Blake Brittain, USA Today, 26 June 2025

That is, as long as Anthropic purchased those books and didn’t pirate them. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin pirata, from Greek peiratēs, from peiran to attempt — more at fear

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

pirate

1 of 2 noun

pi·​rate ˈpī-rət 

: a person who commits piracy

piratical

pə-ˈrat-i-kəl 

pī-

adjective

piratically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

pirate

2 of 2 verb

pirated; pirating

: to take by piracy

pirate an invention

Legal Definition

pirate

1 of 2 noun

pi·​rate ˈpī-rət 

: a person who commits piracy

pirate

2 of 2 verb

pirated; pirating

transitive verb

: to take or appropriate by piracy

especially : to copy, distribute, or use without authorization especially in infringement of copyright

the pirated software

pirating cable signals

intransitive verb

: to commit piracy compare bootleg