plagiarize

verb

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

plagiarized; plagiarizing

Definition of plagiarize

: 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

Other Words from plagiarize The Kidnapping Roots of Plagiarize Example Sentences Learn More about plagiarize

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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.

Examples of plagiarize in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, publishers and authors whose books are photocopied or otherwise plagiarized just come to rely on Amazon even more. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "How Amazon benefits from counterfeit books," 24 June 2019 His campaign admitted to plagiarizing a policy document, and Biden initially held to his decades-long support for a rule that prevents federal money from being used for abortions, only to abruptly change amid an outcry led by Democratic women. — John Wagner, Twin Cities, "Biden delivers scathing address on Trump, and the president fires back," 11 June 2019 Inside, there is a completely different biography plagiarized from Jürgen Scheible, a German media artist. — David Streitfeld, New York Times, "What Happens After Amazon’s Domination Is Complete? Its Bookstore Offers Clues," 23 June 2019 Joe Biden reversing course on bad ideas and apparently plagiarizing policy on climate change might have escaped your attention, too. — Graeme Mcmillan, WIRED, "While You Were Offline: Trump Had a Very Long Week in the UK," 9 June 2019 Biden's first campaign for president back in 1988 was derailed after he was accused of plagiarizing parts of a speech from a British politician in the Democratic debate. — NBC News, "Biden camp fixes climate plan after reports it copied other writings," 4 June 2019 He was accused of plagiarizing in campaign speeches. — Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, "Biden’s First Run for President Was a Calamity. Some Missteps Still Resonate.," 3 June 2019 So where some companies might meet a deadline by hiring more employees or implementing crunch hours, NURV is stuck crafting schemes to plagiarize these super coders’ work. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Looking back at Antitrust, the movie where Bill Gates murders coders," 7 Sep. 2018 The website also hired one of the major promoters of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory (who then plagiarized from Unite the Right leader Jason Kessler), and Levant has appeared on Alex Jones’s Infowars show. — Jane Coaston, Vox, "Steve King endorses a bona fide white supremacist for Toronto mayor," 18 Oct. 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.

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More Definitions for plagiarize

plagiarize

verb

English Language Learners Definition of plagiarize

: to use the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own words or ideas

See the full definition for plagiarize in the English Language Learners Dictionary

plagiarize

verb

pla·gia·rize | \ ˈplā-jə-ˌrīz

plagiarized; plagiarizing

Legal Definition of plagiarize

transitive verb

: to copy and pass off (the expression of ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's work) without crediting the source the book contained plagiarized material — Smith v. Little, Brown & Co., 265 F. Supp. 451 (1965)

intransitive verb

: to present as new and original an idea or work derived from an existing source

Other Words from plagiarize

plagiarism \ -ˌri-zəm

\ noun

plagiarist \ -rist

\ noun