plagiarism

[ pley-juh-riz-uhm, -jee-uh-riz- ]

noun

1. an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author:

   It is said that he plagiarized Thoreau's plagiarism of a line written by Montaigne.

   Synonyms: cribbing, borrowing, theft, piracy, infringement, appropriation

2. a piece of writing or other work reflecting such unauthorized use or imitation:

   “These two manuscripts are clearly plagiarisms,” the editor said, tossing them angrily on the floor.

plagiarism

/ ˈpleɪdʒəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. the act of plagiarizing
2. something plagiarized

plagiarism

1. Literary theft. Plagiarism occurs when a writer duplicates another writer's language or ideas and then calls the work his or her own. Copyright laws protect writers' words as their legal property. To avoid the charge of plagiarism, writers take care to credit those from whom they borrow and quote.

Notes

Similar theft in music or other arts is also called plagiarism.

Derived Forms

• ˌplagiaˈristic, adjective
• ˈplagiarist, noun

Other Words From

• plagia·rist noun
• plagia·ristic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plagiarism¹

First recorded in 1615–25; plagiar(y) + -ism

Example Sentences

Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, which Williams co-wrote, is heard briefly on the soundtrack, without referencing the song's infamous plagiarism trial, which left the musician owing $5m to the estate of Marvin Gaye.

From BBC

In May, Andrea Grimes wrote at the Texas Observer about the Trump campaign’s gaslighting in defense of Melania Trump’s plagiarism of Michelle Obama in her convention speech.

From Salon

Rather, for hedge fund owner Bill Ackman, it’s vindication that X—where Ackman repeatedly pushed disinformation around network news, vaccines, and plagiarism—is the epitome of accuracy.

From Slate

This includes crabs, which evolved from the common ancestor of all crabs, and it includes other kinds of crustaceans with completely different ancestors, occupying a different branch of the evolutionary tree — yet a total plagiarism of the idea of crab.

From Salon

Where is the line between creativity and plagiarism?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• falsification
• infringement
• piracy