What does photocopying mean?
Photocopying denotes the process of reproducing a document, photograph, drawing, or other material, traditionally by exposing it to light-sensitive paper and now commonly through a digital copier or scanner. The activity is so familiar that its meaning has broadened: a photocopy can mean any reproduction made by such a machine, and by extension the word can sometimes refer broadly to copying material, especially when accuracy or scale is important. Photocopying usually occurs in offices, schools, libraries, shops, and homes, where it provides a quick means of duplicating forms, notes, articles, and images. The expression “photocopying machine” is especially common, although “copier” is often more natural in contemporary British and American usage. The word is generally neutral, but in copyright discussions it may carry procedural or legal implications because unauthorized reproduction can infringe a creator’s rights. Photocopying is also useful in historical and technological contexts because it marks the widespread transition from manually copying texts to reproducing them mechanically and, later, electronically.
The process or activity of making a photographic or digital copy of a document or image.
"The office was closed for photocopying during the morning."
Usually uncountable in the sense of an activity or process; a particular copy is more naturally called a “photocopy.”
To make a photographic or digital copy of a document or image.
"They spent the afternoon photocopying the application forms."
This is the present participle of “photocopy” and is often used in continuous constructions.
The process is normally treated as an uncountable noun. The plural is uncommon and is used mainly for separate acts or instances of photocopying.
"The archive recorded three separate photocopyings of the manuscript."
Photocopying turned a once-radical copying technology into an ordinary feature of offices, schools, libraries, and daily life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does photocopying come from?
“Photocopying” is a 20th-century formation built from “photo-” and “copy.” The combining element “photo-” comes from Greek phōtós, meaning “light,” while “copy” comes through Latin copia, originally meaning “abundance” or “plenty.” “Photocopy” was coined for a reproduction made photographically, and “photocopying” developed as the corresponding name for the process. Its formation reflects the broader 19th-century development of photographic reproduction technologies.
Related word forms
How photocopying is actually used
The first sense is normally uncountable, although the plural “photocopyings” is occasionally used for separate acts or instances. In the second sense, “photocopy” is more usual and more natural than “photocopying.” As a present participle, the word is widely used after verbs such as “stop,” “avoid,” and “proceed.”