piracy

[ pahy-ruh-see ]

noun

, plural pi·ra·cies.

1. practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.
2. the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented invention, trademarked product, etc.:

   The record industry is beset with piracy.

3. Also called stream capture. Geology. diversion of the upper part of one stream by the headward growth of another.

piracy

/ ˈpaɪrəsɪ /

noun

1. robbery on the seas within admiralty jurisdiction
2. a felony, such as robbery or hijacking, committed aboard a ship or aircraft
3. the unauthorized use or appropriation of patented or copyrighted material, ideas, etc

Other Words From

• anti·pira·cy noun plural antipiracies adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of piracy¹

1545–55; earlier pyracie < Medieval Latin pīrātīa < Late Greek peirāteía. See pirate, -acy

Word History and Origins

Origin of piracy¹

C16: from Anglo-Latin pirātia, from Late Greek peirāteia; see pirate

Example Sentences

The UN's cultural agency said that despite "significant growth in production", the business of film-making across the continent was hindered by issues such as piracy, insubstantial training opportunities and a lack of official film institutions.

From BBC

In response, President Maduro's government accused Washington of “piracy” and of “illegally imposing its will” around the world.

From BBC

The end of the message matched those on piracy websites that have been shuttered by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, an anti-piracy coalition associated with the Motion Picture Assn.

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier this year, he estimated that, on average, piracy costs the movie theater business more than $1 billion per year.

From Los Angeles Times

They knew they wanted to make a career out of their music - not an easy ambition in a country where piracy means most musicians get little money from their music.

From BBC

Related Words

• copying
• hijacking
• infringement
• plagiarism
• theft