self-plagiarism
noun
self-pla·gia·rism
ˌself-ˈplā-jə-ˌri-zəm 
also -jē-ə-
plural self-plagiarisms
: the reuse of one's own words, ideas, or artistic expression (as in an essay) from preexisting material especially without acknowledgment of their earlier use
Borrowing your own words is a tricky issue. … Writers and publishers tend to rank self-plagiarism as a lesser offense than—what should we call it?—"real" plagiarism? Still, they mostly agree it's a no-no.—
Taylor Wofford
Taylor WoffordExamples of self-plagiarism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The safest form of plagiarism, by common consent, is self-plagiarism.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
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Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-plagiarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-plagiarism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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