copy

American  

[kop-ee] / ˈkɒp i /

noun

• copies
  plural

1. an imitation, reproduction, or transcript of an original.

   a copy of a famous painting.

   Synonyms:

   facsimile, carbon, duplicate

2. one of the various examples or specimens of the same book, engraving, or the like.

3. written matter intended to be reproduced in printed form.

   The editor sent the copy for the next issue to the printer.

4. the text of a news story, advertisement, television commercial, etc., as distinguished from related visual material.

5. the newsworthiness of a person, thing, or event (often preceded by good orbad ).

   The president is always good copy.

6. Computers. an exact duplicate of a file, program, etc..

   Keep a backup copy of the document.

7. Genetics. replication.

8. Printing. pictures and artwork prepared for reproduction.

9. British Informal. (in schools) a composition; a written assignment.

10. British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 16 × 20 inches (40 × 50 centimeters).

11. Archaic. something that is to be reproduced; an example or pattern, as of penmanship to be copied by a pupil.

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verb (used with object)

• copies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• copied,
  past participle,  past
• copying
  present participle

1. to make a copy of; transcribe; reproduce.

   to copy a set of figures from a book.

2. to receive and understand (a radio message or its sender).

3. to follow as a pattern or model; imitate.

   Antonyms:

   originate

4. Computers. to make an exact duplicate of (a file, selected text, etc.) and store in another location or in temporary memory.

   Can I copy the program to another computer? Copy the selected paragraph to the clipboard.

verb (used without object)

• copies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• copied,
  past participle,  past
• copying
  present participle

1. to make a copy or copies.

2. to undergo copying.

   It copied poorly.

   I can't install the program—one file won't copy.

3. to hear or receive a radio message, as over a CB radio.

   Do you copy?

4. Newfoundland. Also to leap from one ice pan to another across open water.

idioms

1. copy the mail, mail.

copy British  

/ ˈkɒpɪ /

noun

1. an imitation or reproduction of an original

2. a single specimen of something that occurs in a multiple edition, such as a book, article, etc

3. 1. matter to be reproduced in print

   2. written matter or text as distinct from graphic material in books, newspapers, etc

4. the words used to present a promotional message in an advertisement

5. informal journalism suitable material for an article or story

   disasters are always good copy

6. archaic a model to be copied, esp an example of penmanship

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verb

1. to make a copy or reproduction of (an original)

2. (tr) to imitate as a model

3. (intr) to imitate unfairly

Synonym Usage

See imitate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• precopy
  noun
• recopy
  verb (used with object)
• uncopied
  adjective
• well-copied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• copies
  plural

Participles

• copying
  present
• copied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• copy
  simple
• copies
  simple
• have copied
  perfect
• has copied
  perfect
• am copying
  progressive
• are copying
  progressive
• is copying
  progressive
• have been copying
  perfect progressive
• has been copying
  perfect progressive

Past

• copied
  simple
• had copied
  perfect
• was copying
  progressive
• were copying
  progressive
• had been copying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will copy
  simple
• will have copied
  perfect
• will be copying
  progressive
• will have been copying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of copy

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English copie (from Anglo-French ) from Medieval Latin cōpia “abundance, something copied,” Latin: “wealth, abundance”; see copious; copy ( def. 18 ) originally a children's game, from the phrase copy the leader

Explanation

A copy is a reproduction of something — it looks identical to the original. You might ask your sister to make a copy of your nephew's adorable painting so you can hang it on your fridge. You can use the word copy in several different ways. Your doctor's office may keep a copy of your insurance card on file, and they may copy it again every year. This verb form of copy means "to replicate or reproduce." You can also copy down what your teacher says in class — in this case, you're not making an identical copy, but writing the basic ideas. The Medieval Latin root, copia, "reproduction or transcript," comes from the Latin word copia, "plenty."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

copy copies copied copying

Through requests to the Sisters of Nazareth, she has tried to get her own records, and received a redacted copy of a register that showed she was at the home.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Not only is Big Ant afraid he doesn’t measure up to the boy’s fantasies; he’s scared that his son will copy his mistakes and get snatched by the system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

At a rural Scottish gasoline station my wife grabbed a copy of the Times of London.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

While a Cambridge University historian, Dr. Eamonn O'Keeffe discovered what he believes is the only surviving copy of Byfield's History and Conversion of a British Soldier.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

Miss Mortimer tucked her yellowed copy of the bylaws out of sight.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

“It was beginning to sell more than 1,000 copies a week, which is crazy two years after publication,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

She reported the letters to the police and they took away the original hard copies.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

It's made by Insomniac, the studio responsible for the recent Spider-Man titles, which have sold 50 million copies in recent years.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

But people who inherit two copies develop a disabling, life-threatening blood disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

“Just a conjure trick. You can cast copies at a braid shop or beauty salon. Then Mama trained them. That way my hair is always neat.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

And in these creations we find a wealth of details, impressive from both a technical standpoint in their fealty to the garments being copied.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Walter and others copied the idea, betting they could invest the capital for more than they had to pay policyholders, pocketing the difference and fees they collected for managing the money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

He went straight to his bathroom mirror and copied them down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Scotland Yard confirmed to the BBC it copied in all those who had signed up to receive a monthly email update for victims instead of blind copying them.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

My grandmother in New York didn’t write very often, but when she did, I sent her one of my best school compositions, or a drawing, or a joke copied from the newspaper.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

They adopted high-tech growing techniques similar to Driscoll’s, even allegedly copying greenhouse designs used by farmers growing for Driscoll’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

“We can’t just unplug it because it could be copying itself over to other computers,” he told CBS News.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Dürer was only partly successful: It was decided that Raimondi could continue copying Dürer’s work, but he was prohibited from also copying the artist’s distinctive monogram.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Scotland Yard confirmed to the BBC it copied in all those who had signed up to receive a monthly email update for victims instead of blind copying them.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

I wonder if she’s just copying him, but then...

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• image
• model
• photocopy
• photograph
• portrait
• print
• replica
• reproduction
• transcript
• type