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
Billy Perrigo/san Francisco, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024
The company adds the sites seem to be using generative AI to plagiarize and re-write articles taken from real US publications.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 9 Aug. 2024
The book’s co-author is a notorious extremist, Jack Posobiec, who left the right-wing outlet Rebel News after plagiarizing a white supremacist and who collaborated with neo-Nazis on a conspiracy-laden documentary.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2024
Worse yet, a competing outfit called Second Wife is plagiarizing Lady Parts’ songs in a brazen attempt to steal their spotlight.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for plagiarize 
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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 8 Oct. 2024.
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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