Definition of plagiarize
plagiarized
;plagiarizing
transitive verb
: 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
plagiarizer
nounPeople Are Reading
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
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Monica Crowley, selected as deputy national security adviser, withdrew after it was revealed that much of her past writing was plagiarized.
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The Islamic State virtually plagiarized the idea from Inspire, the English-language magazine of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is aimed specifically at audiences in the West.
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The group formed in 2011, when Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg—who was touted as a possible successor to Chancellor Merkel—was accused of plagiarizing parts of his doctoral thesis.
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Melissa Molomo, who Instagrams affirmations at the handle @MissSayWhatsReal, has reportedly issued the letter to Hailey for allegedly plagiarizing her work.
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There are software detection tools that can inform teachers when someone is plagiarizing.
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In a case of meta-plagiarism, that paper had been plagiarized from a study about dogs and rats, even though the data was supposed to be about people.
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The article ran under the byline Edward Clarkin and appeared to use fabricated quotes and plagiarized passages.
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Didn't John Fogerty also perform live in court when he was accused of plagiarizing himself?
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.
Origin and Etymology of plagiarize
plagiary
First Known Use: 1660
Other Literature Terms
PLAGIARIZE Defined for English Language Learners
plagiarize
playDefinition of plagiarize for English Language Learners
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: to use the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own words or ideas
Law Dictionary
plagiarize
playLegal Definition of plagiarize
plagiarized
plagiarizing
transitive verb
intransitive verb
Origin and Etymology of plagiarize
from plagiary plagiarist, from Latin plagiarius, literally, kidnapper, from plagium netting of game, kidnapping, from plaga net
Learn More about plagiarize
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See words that rhyme with plagiarize Spanish Central: Translation of plagiarize Nglish: Translation of plagiarize for Spanish speakers
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