piracy Meaning & Definition
What Does Piracy Mean?
As a noun, piracy means Robbery at sea, a violation of international law; taking a ship away from the control of those who are legally entitled to it. It can also mean A similar violation of international law, such as hijacking of an aircraft.
Word Facts for Piracy
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈpaɪɹəsi// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | buccaneering, plagiarisation and plagiarization |
| Plural | piracies |
Piracy Definition (Noun)
- Robbery at sea, a violation of international law; taking a ship away from the control of those who are legally entitled to it.
How should the international community respond to Somali piracy?
- A similar violation of international law, such as hijacking of an aircraft.
- The unauthorized duplication of goods protected by intellectual property law.
Some video game consoles use specially designed cartridges to make software piracy more difficult.
- The operation of an unlicensed radio or television station.
- Kleptoparasitism.
Synonyms of Piracy
Piracy synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Piracy
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Piracy in a Sentence
How should the international community respond to Somali piracy?
Some video game consoles use specially designed cartridges to make software piracy more difficult.
Word Forms & Grammar
piracy (countable and uncountable, plural piracies)
Words That Rhyme With Piracy
Origin of Piracy
Origin 1: From Medieval Latin pīrātia, from Classical Latin pīrāta + ia, or Ancient Greek πειρατεία (peirateía).
Origin 2: The sense of “unauthorized duplication” developed in England between 1660 and 1710. The English Crown granted strict monopolies over book printing to specific guilds, such as the Stationers’ Company. Printing a book without permission was framed as an unlawful attack on the Crown’s authority and revenues. By labeling rogue printers as “pirates”, authorized booksellers equated them with sea robbers operating outside the bounds of civilized society. By the passage of the Statute of Anne in 1710, this usage was deeply entrenched in public consciousness as the definitive descriptor for the unauthorized duplication of books, and was later applied seamlessly to new media as they emerged.[1]
How to Pronounce Piracy
The standard pronunciation of piracy is //ˈpaɪɹəsi//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Piracy
What part of speech is piracy?
Piracy is a noun.
What is another word for piracy?
Close synonyms of piracy are buccaneering, plagiarisation and plagiarization. See the full list of piracy synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of piracy?
The plural of piracy is piracies.