plagiarism
noun
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Common Misspellings
plagarism, plagerism, plagirism
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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 plagiarism in a Sentence
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Her first book, Smart on Crime, drew plagiarism accusations from conservatives in the closing months of the campaign.
—Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Jan. 2025
Read: Novels about plagiarism are having a moment. Plan: Spend 36 hours in Antwerp, Belgium.
Play the Spelling Bee.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Harvard fell from No. 1 after a prolonged period of controversy, marked by antisemitism on campus and the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay amid allegations of plagiarism.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plagiarism
Cite this Entry
“Plagiarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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