piracy

noun

pi·​ra·​cy ˈpī-rə-sē 

plural piracies

1

: an act of robbery on the high seas

also : an act resembling such robbery

2

: robbery on the high seas

3

a

: the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright

b

: the illicit accessing of broadcast signals

Synonyms

• pirating

Examples of piracy in a Sentence

piracy on the high seas

many countries have harsh penalties for piracy now

Recent Examples on the Web

In the five years since Sundance made the lineup available online to ticket-holders, no other film has been pulled from the platform due to piracy concerns. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Feb. 2025

The move came just hours after Isabel Castro’s documentary about late superstar Selena Quintanilla, Selena y Los Dinos, was pulled over similar piracy concerns. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025

The Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act would target foreign-run piracy websites and prevent them from exploiting loopholes in the law. —Mackenzie Weinger, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025

Spotify hit on the idea of playlists, a way of curating songs to be background music The music industry in 2006 was desperate, having been kneecapped by piracy — first Napster, then a host of file-sharing applications. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin piratia, from Late Greek peirateia, from Greek peiratēs pirate

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing piracy

• air piracy
• anti-piracy

Kids Definition

piracy

noun

pi·​ra·​cy ˈpī-rə-sē 

plural piracies

1

: robbery on the high seas

2

: the use of another's production or invention without permission

Legal Definition

piracy

noun

pi·​ra·​cy ˈpī-rə-sē 

plural piracies

1

: an act of robbery especially on the high seas

specifically : an illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder committed for private ends by crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft against another ship or aircraft on the high seas or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state see also air piracy

2

a

: the unauthorized copying, distribution, or use of another's production (as a film) especially in infringement of a copyright

software piracy

b

: the unauthorized use, interception, or receipt of encoded communications (as satellite cable programming) especially to avoid paying fees for use

the statute's purpose is to proscribe the piracy of programming signals

—United States v. Harrell, 983 F.2d 36 (1993)

3

: the crime of committing piracy