What does plagiarized mean?
Plagiarized is the past tense and past participle of plagiarize, meaning to take another person's words, ideas, work, or distinctive expressions and present them as one's own. It is especially associated with academic and published writing, where originality and proper attribution are essential. A writer may plagiarize a passage directly, reproduce the argument of a source without acknowledgment, or present copied material as part of original research. The word carries a strongly negative and usually formal connotation because it implies both lack of credit and deliberate deception. In legal and educational discussions, plagiarism can encompass forms of copying that vary in severity, from accidental citation errors to extensive unauthorized reproduction. The related noun plagiarism names the practice itself, while plagiarist denotes a person who commits it.
To copy or use another person's work, ideas, or words without giving proper credit, especially by presenting them as one's own.
"The student plagiarized an online article in the final essay."
This is the past-tense and past-participle form of plagiarize. It is generally used in formal educational, academic, and publishing contexts.
Having been copied or appropriated without proper credit and presented as original.
"The committee rejected the plagiarized submission."
Commonly used before words such as work, paper, essay, article, or passage.
The word comes from the Latin plagiarius, meaning a kidnapper or plagiarist: someone who takes another person's words and tries to pass them off as their own.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does plagiarized come from?
The word comes through English plagiarism and the Latin plagiarius, an ancient Roman term associated with a kidnapper or someone who took another's words as their own. The root plagiarius also contributed to plagiarize and plagiarist. In modern usage, the sense expanded from theft of intellectual material to the unauthorized appropriation and presentation of another person's writing or ideas as original.
Related word forms
How plagiarized is actually used
Usually used with a specific object, such as a paper, essay, article, passage, or idea. In formal academic contexts, plagiarism is treated as a serious breach of research or writing standards. The term can also be used more broadly for copying distinctive wording or material without attribution.