Can You Plagiarize A Definition?: Is It Okay to Copy and Paste a Definition?

Plagiarism is an offense both in the academic and corporate world. If it is your first time hearing the word plagiarism, this is copying someone else’s work and presenting it as your own. But it is allowed to copy, provided you cite or acknowledge the sources.

But what happens if it is a definition? Can you plagiarize a definition? If you are struggling with this, you’re in the right place. This article will answer this question and then demonstrate the correct way to cite a definition both in the body of your work and in your end-of-text citation.

Can You Plagiarize A Definition?

Copying a definition word for word is regarded as plagiarism. This is because plagiarism is defined as copying anything and presenting it as your own. It does not matter whether it is a description, quote, or other content. If it is not appropriately cited, then generally, this is plagiarism.

But you may wonder why you should cite a definition, yet there is no other way to describe what you are writing about. Even though it is true, resources were used to create the dictionary and thus the need for citing. The reason for this is simple; the description is not your original work and cannot be included without documentation. For example, if you were writing “love,” you could include a dictionary’s definition of love because your words would still show that you have borrowed from a dictionary.

However, while dictionary definitions are acceptable and should still be cited, they also need to be used sparingly. A good guideline is that only one or two meanings should be used per paper. That way, it will help keep things clear without bogging down the text with unnecessary details.

Therefore, whatever you use to get your definitions, always cite it to avoid being labeled a plagiarist.

How Not to Plagiarize a Definition

Now that you know you can plagiarize definitions, it is time to see how to escape the trap of plagiarizing them. There are several ways you can employ to stay safe and avoid the consequences that come with plagiarism. Even if it was accidental and not intended, it is crucial to stay off this practice.

These methods are

• Use quotation marks around any part of the original definition and credit it by citing the source.
• If you’re writing in APA, MLA, Chicago style, or another style, you should include information about where you found this definition and what page number it appears on.
• You should pass your work through a plagiarism checker before submitting it
• Either paraphrase the definition with citation on your own or with a paraphrasing tool to avoid having the exact words as the original definition
• Avoid giving definitions unless the paper or your professor directs you to include them in the article. This helps because your professor is knowledgeable and already knows what the word means.

If you decide to use a paraphrasing tool to beat plagiarism checkers, you should be cautious of the free versions. This is because such tools are not perfect, and some plagiarism checker tools may still detect this.

Is It Okay to Copy and Paste a Definition?

Copying and pasting a definition from one source to another is not okay. You should always avoid this practice. Even if you cite the source, it’s a form of plagiarism, and Turnitin will flag it as such.

A better way to deal with definitions is to write them yourself in your own words. This helps you remember them better and understand how the concept fits your research project, rather than just memorizing someone else’s words or ideas.

The only exception might be if you’re quoting someone directly—but even then, it’s good form to say where they’re getting their ideas from even if they didn’t say that themselves.

Additionally, copying and pasting a definition can sometimes come off as lazy. When your professor gives you a paper, they are not necessarily testing how well you memorize the theories or coursework. The main intention is to test your understanding and how you can apply the concepts in real life. Therefore, it is better to paraphrase the definition, or if you must quote it directly, cite it and add a few words of your own to show you understand the meaning.

How to Cite a Definition

There are several ways of citing a definition, and it is similar to citing any other quote. You should use the same format for any other quoted material, but add the name of the dictionary or glossary in parentheses after your sentence.

• If it is APA format, start with the dictionary’s author, which is usually the organization, the publication year, word to be cited, name of dictionary, publisher, and URL
• If in MLA, start with the author’s last name, first name, then the editor, the title entry, name of dictionary, name of publisher, year, and the page number
• If you are citing a definition within a text, you will parenthesis the institution and publication date after your text

The citation, therefore, depends on the style of writing you are using, but generally, the rules do not change.

Conclusion

Using definitions can help with precision and clarity. It also enables you to be more precise and clearer and avoid ambiguity. This makes your writing more straightforward for readers to understand and reduces the likelihood of miscommunication.

If you decide to include a definition in your work, be careful to quote it. Alternatively, you can avoid the descriptions as much as possible. Besides citing and avoiding them, you can put your spin on what you’re writing for readers to think it is your original work. That way, you’ll not get in trouble. Hopefully, this answers the can you plagiarize a definition question.