plagiarism

noun

pla·​gia·​rism ˈplā-jə-ˌri-zəm How to pronounce plagiarism (audio)
 also  -jē-ə-
1
: an act or instance of plagiarizing
2
: something plagiarized
plagiarist
ˈplā-jə-rist How to pronounce plagiarism (audio)
 also  -jē-ə
noun
plagiaristic
ˌplā-jə-ˈri-stik How to pronounce plagiarism (audio)
 also  -jē-ə-
adjective

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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

The student has been accused of plagiarism.
Recent Examples on the Web The presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania resigned amid backlash from their testimony during a heated congressional hearing on antisemitism at college campuses in December; Harvard’s president had also faced plagiarism accusations around the same time. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2024 The unusually public and hostile feud — which has included allegations of plagiarism, chart rigging and shamanism — has led to hundreds of millions of dollars being wiped off Hybe’s market value. Jin Yu Young, New York Times, 12 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for plagiarism 

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

Word History

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plagiarism was in 1621

Dictionary Entries Near plagiarism

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

plagiarism

noun
pla·​gia·​rism ˈplā-jə-ˌriz-əm How to pronounce plagiarism (audio)
1
: an act of plagiarizing
2
: something plagiarized
plagiarist noun
plagiaristic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on plagiarism

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