plagiarize

/ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz/

//ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz// verb

"plagiarize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“plagiarize” is uncommon English (frequency #84,613 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,613
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To use, and pass off as one's own, someone else's writing, speech, ideas, or other intellectual or creative work, especially in an academic context; to commit plagiarism.

Corpus desk

Index EN-plagiarize · plagiarize · English

plagiarize · rank #84,613 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #84,613
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH piquet

Nearest frequency peer: piquet (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “plagiarize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “plagiarize” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for plagiarize
PropertyValue
Headwordplagiarize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz/
Letters10
Frequency rank#84,613
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “plagiarize” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).plagiarizefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “piquet” (#84,612), “Platonism” (#84,614), “pinna” (#84,611). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “plagiarize” is #84,613. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

plagiarize is uncommon English at frequency #84,613 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To use, and pass off as one's own, someone else's writing, speech, ideas, or other intellectual or creative work, especially in an academic context; to commit plagiarism.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for plagiarize, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From plagiary + -ize, ultimately from Latin plagiare (“to kidnap, to abduct”). The correct English form is plagiarize, spelled P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To use, and pass off as one's own, someone else's writing, speech, ideas, or other intellectual or creative work, especially in an academic context; to commit plagiarism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how plagiarize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. She was caught trying to plagiarize an article for her thesis.
  2. It’s unethical to plagiarize someone else’s work for personal gain.

Etymology

From plagiary + -ize, ultimately from Latin plagiare (“to kidnap, to abduct”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "plagiarize"?
"plagiarize" is spelled P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz/.
What does "plagiarize" mean?
As a verb, "plagiarize" means: To use, and pass off as one's own, someone else's writing, speech, ideas, or other intellectual or creative work, especially in an academic context; to commit plagiarism.
How do you pronounce "plagiarize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plagiarize" is /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "plagiarize"?
From plagiary + -ize, ultimately from Latin plagiare (“to kidnap, to abduct”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "plagiarize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list