plagiarize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take and use by plagiarism.
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to take and use ideas, passages, etc., from (another's work) by plagiarism.
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of plagiarize
First recorded in 1710–20; plagiar(ism) + -ize
Explanation
You plagiarize when you take someone's ideas or words and pass them off as your own. It's a fancy word for copying. When you write your first research paper, your teacher will probably spend some time explaining why you shouldn't plagiarize — and the consequences if you do. It's not illegal to plagiarize but it's morally wrong, and it might just get you tossed out of school. If you're writing something and include someone else's words or ideas without attribution, you are plagiarizing. The origins of the word are said to mean "one who kidnaps the child of another" — which certainly gives a sense of the gravity of the charge. After all, some writers do consider their words to be their babies.
Vocabulary lists containing plagiarize
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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List 2
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a Sunday editorial, the Boston Globe asked, “Did Claudine Gay plagiarize or not? Harvard should be clear.”
From Washington Times • Dec. 20, 2023
"All it does is plagiarize what has been fed into the system and is not capable of writing anything."
From BBC • Jul. 27, 2023
In the quickly evolving area of AI imagery, Adobe has tried to position itself as a responsible industry citizen by offering products that won’t plagiarize or create offensive imagery.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 12, 2023
Weeks after a New York jury found he did not plagiarize Marvin Gaye‘s “Let’s Get It On,” Sheeran was cleared of a similar lawsuit filed by Structured Asset Sales.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2023
“We’re not going to plagiarize her. Filmmakers create stories based on true events all the time. It’s a common thing.”
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
