plagiarism

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "plagiarism" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of using someone else's work or ideas without proper attribution, typically in academic or creative contexts. Example: "The student was accused of plagiarism after submitting an essay that closely mirrored a published article without citation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Days earlier, at the Berlin premiere of Nymphomaniac, LaBeouf responded to questions about his sex scenes by quoting without attribution a surreal statement by Eric Cantona, in another reference to his plagiarism scandal.

The Guardian - Film

I am not advocating a culture of penalties where students are named and shamed, as happens in plagiarism cases: I can understand why some students do it.

The Guardian

Instead, he found that DailyMail.com was engaged in disguising plagiarism as aggregation and that it was guilty of inaccuracies.

The Guardian

Billed as a penance for his plagiarism of comic book writer Daniel Clowes, it borrowed heavily from the work of performance artist Marina Abramovic.

The Guardian - Film

Sunny Hundal is editor of the leftwing blog Liberal Conspiracy and other online magazines Being paid to tweet along to a TV programme is hardly an unforgivable journalistic sin, like plagiarism or writing a Glastonbury diary.

The Guardian - Opinion

As for the plagiarism gibes, they may not prove that harmful.

The Economist

His allies suggest he is the victim of a left-wing plot: Andreas Fischer-Lescano, a law professor who uncovered the apparent plagiarism while writing a review of the published thesis, is a founding member of a think tank positioned well to the left of centre.That seems desperate.

The Economist

You might expect the sin of plagiarism to be fatal for the zu Guttenberg brand.

The Economist

That is not plagiarism, Mr Frow argues, but "imitation".

The Economist

Reports of plagiarism first appeared in the newspapers, but they gained momentum on the internet.

The Economist

Treating plagiarism as a side issue was an uncharacteristic blunder on her part.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always cite your sources properly to avoid accusations of "plagiarism". Use citation management tools to help keep track of sources and generate accurate citations.

Common error

Avoid simply changing a few words in the original text. Effective paraphrasing requires a complete rewording and restructuring of the information, along with proper citation, to avoid "plagiarism".

Linguistic Context

The word "plagiarism" functions primarily as a noun, referring to the act of taking someone else's work or ideas and presenting them as one's own. It can also refer to the copied material itself. Ludwig AI confirms its usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Formal & Business

21%

Science

15%

Less common in

Academia

17%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "plagiarism" is a noun that refers to the act of using another person's work without proper attribution. Ludwig AI confirms the word is grammatically correct and frequently used, mainly in neutral and formal settings such as news, media and academic contexts. It is crucial to properly cite sources to avoid this ethical and sometimes legal issue. Alternative phrases include "intellectual theft" and "copyright infringement". Always paraphrase effectively and use citation tools to maintain academic and professional integrity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intellectual theft

Focuses more on the act of stealing ideas.

literary theft

Specifically refers to stealing written works.

copyright infringement

Highlights the legal aspect of violating copyright laws.

passing off

Emphasizes the act of presenting someone else's work as your own.

unattributed borrowing

Highlights the lack of attribution when using someone else's work.

academic dishonesty

Focuses on plagiarism within an academic setting.

fraudulent misrepresentation

Emphasizes the deceptive nature of plagiarism.

unoriginal work

Highlights the lack of originality in plagiarized content.

borrowing without citation

Focuses on the absence of proper citation when using external sources.

copying someone's work

A simpler way to describe the act of plagiarism.

FAQs

How to use "plagiarism" in a sentence?

"Plagiarism" is typically used to describe the act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without attribution. For example, "The student was accused of "plagiarism" after submitting an essay with uncited sources."

What are the different types of "plagiarism"?

There are several types of "plagiarism", including direct "copying", paraphrasing without citation, and self-"plagiarism" (reusing your own work without permission).

What can I say instead of "plagiarism"?

You can use alternatives like "intellectual theft", "literary theft", or "copyright infringement depending" on the context.

What is the difference between "plagiarism" and "copyright infringement"?

"Plagiarism" refers to the ethical issue of presenting someone else's work as your own, while "copyright infringement" is a legal issue involving the violation of copyright laws. "Plagiarism" may not always be illegal, but copyright infringement is always against the law.