Plagiarism is when someone copies another person’s work or ideas and pretends it is their own. This can happen if a student takes words or ideas from a book, website, or another person’s writing without giving credit.
For example, if a student copies an article from the internet and turns it in as their own homework, that is plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, it’s important to write in your own words and say where the information came from.
If you need a short and clear definition of plagiarism for your essay, you can find it in dictionaries or encyclopedias:
Plagiarism (noun) /ˈpleɪdʒərɪzəm/ – the practice of copying another person's ideas, words, or work and pretending that they are your own.
Many schools and universities around the world have their own rules about plagiarism. Before writing your paper, it's important to understand your school's rules. Remember, plagiarism isn't just about copying words—it can also include copying data or artwork without permission.
However, not all copied text is plagiarism. If something is widely known and doesn’t need a specific source, it’s not considered plagiarism. For example, saying "The Earth orbits the Sun" is common knowledge, and you don’t need to give credit to a source.
