copyright
copyright Lexical Profile
copyright Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee for a fixed number of years, to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.
"The author holds the copyright to all editions of her bestselling novel."
• verb
To secure the exclusive legal right to publish, reproduce, or distribute an original literary, artistic, or musical work.
"The software developer decided to copyright the source code before releasing the application to the public."
• adjective
Protected by or subject to exclusive legal ownership and publication rights.
"Broadcasting the copyright material without prior permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'copyright' (the legal right to publish and sell a creative work) with the homophone 'copywrite' (the act of writing advertising or promotional text). Additionally, the past tense and past participle of the verb 'copyright' is 'copyrighted', never 'copywritten'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 18th century (notably around the passage of Britain's Statute of Anne in 1710), formed as a compound of 'copy' (referring to a manuscript or original text for printing) and 'right' (a legal entitlement).