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

A Mauritius government spokesman told the BBC that no-one would be asked to leave, and that local people were only prevented from entering the airport and the port – facilities that he said would help the country control piracy, drug-trafficking and unregulated fishing.

From BBC

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

“Not going to lie I shed a tear seeing this,” one Reddit user commented on an r/Piracy post discussing the takedown.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• copying
• hijacking
• infringement
• plagiarism
• theft