plagiarize
verb
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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
Sally Tamarkin, Them, 23 Dec. 2024
Min accused the new band of deliberately plagiarizing NewJeans’ look, music and choreography, an allegation the label has denied.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
The research misconduct allegations keep coming at Harvard, as a leading neuroscientist is now under the microscope for possibly falsifying data and plagiarizing images in his groundbreaking research about aggressive brain tumors and stem cells.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
News outlets have argued that OpenAI and Microsoft — which is in business with OpenAI and also has been sued by The Mercury News — have plagiarized and stole its articles, undermining their business models.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near plagiarize
Cite this Entry
“Plagiarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plagiarize
verb
Legal Definition
plagiarize
verb
Smith v. Little, Brown & Co., 265 F. Supp. 451 (1965)from plagiary plagiarist, from Latin plagiarius, literally, kidnapper, from plagium netting of game, kidnapping, from plaga net
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