pirate

American  

[pahy-ruht] / ˈpaɪ rət /

noun

1. a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea.

   Synonyms:

   plunderer, corsair, buccaneer, freebooter

2. a ship used by such persons.

3. any plunderer, predator, etc..

   confidence men, slumlords, and other pirates.

4. a person who uses or reproduces the work or invention of another without authorization.

5. Also called pirate stream.  Geology. a stream that diverts into its own flow the headwaters of another stream, river, etc.

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verb (used with object)

pirated, pirating

1. to commit piracy upon; plunder; rob.

2. to take by piracy.

   to pirate gold.

3. to use or reproduce (a book, an invention, etc.) without authorization or legal right.

   to pirate hit records.

4. to take or entice away for one's own use.

   Our competitor is trying to pirate our best salesman.

verb (used without object)

pirated, pirating

1. to commit or practice piracy.

pirate British  

/ ˈpaɪrɪt, paɪˈrætɪkəl /

noun

1. a person who commits piracy

2. 1. a vessel used by pirates

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pirate ship

3. a person who illicitly uses or appropriates someone else's literary, artistic, or other work

4. 1. a person or group of people who broadcast illegally

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pirate radio station

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verb

1. (tr) to use, appropriate, or reproduce (artistic work, ideas, etc) illicitly

Other Word Forms

• piratelike
  adjective
• piratic
  adjective
• piratical
  adjective
• piratically
  adverb
• unpirated
  adjective
• unpiratical
  adjective
• unpiratically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of pirate

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin pīrāta < Greek peirātḗs, equivalent to peirā- , variant stem of peirân to attack + -tēs agent noun suffix

Explanation

Yarg, matey! A cartoon pirate wears an eye patch, three-cornered hat, billowy shirt, and tall black boots. In real life, a pirate just boards ships and robs them of cargo, valuables, and money, often while wearing regular boring clothes. Pirates have been around since humans have been shipping valuable goods by boat across oceans. You can also use pirate as a verb to describe what these robbers do. Today, in addition to traditional pirates, there are pirates who use digital creative material, like books, movies, games, and music, without paying for it. If you pirate a movie, you make a copy and sell it illegally. The Greek root of pirate is peirates, "one who attacks."

Example Sentences

“Recent incidents, including a Pirate Action Group approach approximately 500 nautical miles east of Somalia indicate sustained offshore capability.”

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

“They have to re-earn the trust, be reliable, prove to us they could be a long-term partner,” Emil Michael, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, told media outlet Pirate Wires.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

I’ve gone to Pirate Studios in West Adams a couple times, and just anywhere I can play some music, really, really loud.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

While they did uncover “four pieces of terrorist propaganda” from a previously banned account, it was nothing remotely close to what the Pirate Wires article had claimed.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2025

He and his friends had named it the Pirate Tree because in the fall, bright yellow leaves made it look covered in gold coins.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

Related Words

• raider