plagiarize

verb pla·gia·rize \ ˈplā-jə-ˌrīz also -jē-ə- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of plagiarize

plagiarized; plagiarizing

: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source

intransitive verb

: to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

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plagiarizer

noun

See plagiarize defined for English-language learners

See plagiarize defined for kids

Examples of plagiarize in a Sentence

He plagiarized a classmate's report.
She plagiarized from an article she read on the Internet.

Recent Examples of plagiarize from the Web

That complaint, a compilation of emails from 2009, alleged Pouncey plagiarized his dissertation and used his office for personal gain.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "JeffCo school superintendent lawsuit set for trial," 5 Apr. 2018
Portions of an article that appeared on the cover of the New Homes advertising supplement in the March 24 Union-Tribune were plagiarized from BUILDER Magazine.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Correction:," 29 Mar. 2018
Ridgefield Superintendent of Schools Karen Baldwin will resign after being accused of plagiarizing a letter to parents about the Parkland school shootings.

— kathleen megan, Courant Community, "Superintendent Who Copied School Shooting Letter To Resign," 13 Mar. 2018
One of the people Peña Nieto is accused of plagiarizing from was former Mexican president Miguel de la Madrid, which is rather brazen.

— ian bremmer, Time, "5 Politicos With Questionable Academic Credentials," 5 Mar. 2018
His 2008 campaign against Obama and Clinton fizzled in Iowa; his once-promising 1988 effort ended quickly when he was caught plagiarizing a speech by then-British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.

— matthew cooper, Newsweek, "Joe Biden Can Beat Trump in 2020, but Will the Democratic Party Let Him Run?," 27 Dec. 2017
Charges that the movie plagiarized The Space Between Us were dropped, with the Netherlands Film Academy issuing a statement after speaking with del Toro.

— eliza berman, Time, "Everything to Know About the Shape of Water Plagiarism Controversy," 1 Mar. 2018
In 2007, he was suspended by the Boston Globe for plagiarizing his football column.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Prankster Dupes Boston Herald Columnist With Bogus Tom Brady Story," 9 Feb. 2018
The collection of recipes, which appeared in numerous legitimate and plagiarized editions, is as much a cultural phenomenon as a cooking book.

— keith stavely and kathleen fitzgerald, Smithsonian, "What America’s First Cookbook Says About Our Country and Its Cuisine," 12 Jan. 2018

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

The Kidnapping Roots of plagiarize

If schools wish to impress upon their students how serious an offense plagiarism is, they might start with an explanation of the word’s history. Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin to include a person who stole the words, rather than the children, of another. When plagiarius first entered English in the form plagiary, it kept its original reference to kidnapping, a sense that is now quite obsolete.