plagiarism
C1Formal, academic, professional, legal.
Definition
Meaning
The act of using someone else's work, ideas, or words without giving them credit, and presenting it as your own original creation.
The practice or result of committing literary or artistic theft; the fraudulent appropriation of intellectual property.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strongly negative and often implies deliberate, dishonest intent, distinguishing it from accidental citation errors. Can be used metaphorically beyond text to describe copying of ideas, designs, or other creative expressions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The spelling of related words may differ (e.g., 'plagiarise' vs. 'plagiarize').
Connotations
Identical connotations of dishonesty and academic/professional misconduct in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common and serious in both academic and media contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] committed plagiarismaccuse [someone] of plagiarismthe plagiarism of [work/idea]the plagiarism involved in [doing something]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a word-for-word copy.”
- “She passed it off as her own.”
- “He stole her thunder.”
- “They were caught red-handed.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referencing the unauthorized use of proprietary code, marketing copy, or business plans.
Academic
The central ethical violation, involving copying text, data, or ideas in essays, theses, or publications.
Everyday
Used more loosely for copying someone's outfit, joke, or social media post without credit.
Technical
Specifically refers to a breach of copyright or intellectual property law in legal or publishing contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The student was expelled for attempting to plagiarise an entire thesis.
- It is unethical to plagiarise even a single paragraph.
American English
- The journalist was fired after she plagiarized several paragraphs from a rival paper.
- He was accused of plagiarizing the central concept of the invention.
adverb
British English
- The article was plagiaristically reproduced from an obscure blog.
- He acted plagiaristically, knowing the original source.
American English
- The text was plagiaristically copied and pasted.
- She was accused of writing plagiaristically.
adjective
British English
- The plagiaristic content was identified by specialised software.
- He submitted a plagiaristic essay.
American English
- The plagiaristic material was removed from the website.
- Her actions were deemed clearly plagiaristic.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Copying your friend's homework is wrong. It is a kind of plagiarism.
- The teacher said plagiarism is not allowed.
- The university has strict rules against plagiarism in student essays.
- Using information from the internet without saying where it is from can be plagiarism.
- The researcher was accused of plagiarism after copying data from a published study without citation.
- Many universities use software to check for potential plagiarism in submitted work.
- The author's career was marred by allegations of plagiarism, leading to the retraction of several key publications.
- While the similarities were striking, the committee had to determine whether it constituted deliberate plagiarism or merely parallel development of ideas.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'plague' of copied ideas spreading without permission.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS PHYSICAL PROPERTY (theft, stealing), CREATION IS BIRTH (passing off another's child as your own).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'плагиат', which is a direct cognate with the same meaning. Ensure the translation is not softened to 'заимствование' (borrowing), which lacks the negative, fraudulent connotation.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'plagerism' or 'plagarism'.
- Using 'plagiarism' to describe legitimate citation or inspiration.
- Incorrect: 'He did a plagiarism.' Correct: 'He committed plagiarism.'
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the core element of 'plagiarism'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you present the translated text as your own original writing without acknowledging the source material you fed into the translator, it constitutes plagiarism.
Plagiarism is an ethical breach involving a failure to attribute sources, even if the work is out of copyright. Copyright infringement is a legal violation involving the unauthorized use of a work protected by copyright law, regardless of attribution. They often overlap but are distinct concepts.
Yes, this is called 'self-plagiarism'. It involves re-submitting or re-publishing your own previous work (in whole or in part) as new, original work without disclosure, which is considered academically dishonest.
Yes. Paraphrasing someone else's structure, sequence of ideas, or unique phrasing without citation, even if words are changed, is a form of plagiarism known as 'patchwriting'. The core idea must be properly attributed.
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