plagiarize

verb

pla·​gia·​rize ˈplā-jə-ˌrīz How to pronounce plagiarize (audio)
 also  -jē-ə-
plagiarized; plagiarizing

transitive verb

: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source

intransitive verb

: to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
plagiarizer noun

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The Kidnapping Roots of Plagiarize

If schools wish to impress upon their students how serious an offense plagiarism is, they might start with an explanation of the word’s history. Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin to include a person who stole the words, rather than the children, of another. When plagiarius first entered English in the form plagiary, it kept its original reference to kidnapping, a sense that is now quite obsolete.

Examples of plagiarize in a Sentence

He plagiarized a classmate's report. She plagiarized from an article she read on the Internet.
Recent Examples on the Web Given years of plagiarizing, lying about his college class rankings and the like, this seems like a fun lie. Ron Hart, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024 At one point, Privat griped that a certain Hong Kong restaurant had plagiarized his concept. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plagiarize 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plagiarize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

plagiary

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of plagiarize was in 1660

Dictionary Entries Near plagiarize

Cite this Entry

“Plagiarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

plagiarize

verb
pla·​gia·​rize ˈplā-jə-ˌrīz How to pronounce plagiarize (audio)
plagiarized; plagiarizing
: to steal and pass off (as the ideas or words of another) as one's own
plagiarized a classmate's homework
plagiarizer noun

Legal Definition

plagiarize

verb
pla·​gia·​rize ˈplā-jə-ˌrīz How to pronounce plagiarize (audio)
plagiarized; plagiarizing

transitive verb

: to copy and pass off (the expression of ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's work) without crediting the source
the book contained plagiarized materialSmith v. Little, Brown & Co., 265 F. Supp. 451 (1965)

intransitive verb

: to present as new and original an idea or work derived from an existing source
plagiarism noun
plagiarist noun
Etymology

from plagiary plagiarist, from Latin plagiarius, literally, kidnapper, from plagium netting of game, kidnapping, from plaga net

More from Merriam-Webster on plagiarize

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