copy

UK/ˈkɒpi//ˈkɑpi/

copy noun: the result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.

Noun

copy (plural copies)

The result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.
- Please bring me at least 200 copies of this report. The photocopier is down the hall on the right.
- His new book is out. I have a signed copy. He'll send you a copy if you want one. He's giving free copies to his former colleagues who want one. The press run is 3000 copies, and he hopes to sell more press runs after this one.
1. The result of gene or chromosomal duplication.
  - Every cell in this organism contains a copy of each gene, but whether that copy will be expressed depends on complex factors of cell differentiation and epigenetics.
An imitation, sometimes of inferior quality.
- That handbag is a copy. You can tell because the buckle is different.
The text (words, content) that is to be typeset or similarly prepared and published.
- This organization doesn't publish any copy that hasn't been edited by a good copy editor.
1. The output of copywriters, who are employed to write material which encourages consumers to buy goods or services.
  - ad copy; advertising copy
  - Has your ad copy plenty of punch?1930, “Instructions in Sound”, in Moving Picture Review & Theatre Management, volume 25, Exhibitors Trade Review Publishing, page 40
2. (uncountable) The text to be set into newspaper articles, magazine pages, or similar.
  - Submit all copy to the appropriate editor.
A person employed to carry copy and run errands.
A schoolwork pad or workbook.
- Tim got in trouble for forgetting his maths copy.
A particular instance of a book: a single printed impression or digital file representing it.
- Our town's public library has several copies of the Bible, in each of several editions.
- Our town's public library has several copies of the second edition of Smith's textbook, but it doesn't yet have any copies of any newer edition.
A particular instance of an issue of a periodical (e.g., magazine, journal, bulletin): a single printed impression or digital file representing that issue; (metonynmically) the issue.
- Have you seen the latest copy of Newsweek yet?
(archaic) Writing paper of a particular size: Synonym of bastard.
(obsolete) That which is to be imitated, transcribed, or reproduced; a pattern, model, or example.
- His virtues are an excellent copy for imitation.
- Let him first learn to write, after a copy of all the letters.1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: […], London: […] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, […], →OCLC
(obsolete) An abundance or plenty of anything.
- [S]he was bleſt with no more Copie of wit, but to ſerue his Humor thus.1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act II, scene i...
(obsolete) copyhold; tenure; lease.
- But in them nature's copy's not eternec. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...

Verb

copy (third-person singular simple present copies, present participle copying, simple past and past participle copied)

(transitive) To produce an object identical to a given object.
- Please copy these reports for me.
- Don't copy that floppy!
(transitive) To give or transmit a copy to (a person).
- Make sure you copy me on that important memo.
- All heads of departments have been copied.
(transitive) To place a copy of an object in memory for later use.
- First copy the files, and then paste them in another directory.
(transitive) To imitate.
- Don't copy my dance moves.
- Mom, he's copying me!
To receive a transmission successfully.
- Do you copy?

copy meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

copy in Hindi

result of copying: प्रतिलिपि pratilipi, अनुकृति anukŕti, कापी kāpī
journalism: text to be typeset: प्रतिलिपि pratilipi
imitation, sometimes of inferior quality: अनुकृति anukŕti
marketing: output of copywriter: प्रतिलिपि pratilipi

copy in Tamil

படி, நகல், பிரதி, படியெடு, நகலெடு, பிரதியெடு

copy in Marathi

copy, duplicate, imitation: नक्कल nakkal

copy in Urdu

result of copying: کاپی kāpī

More languagesFewer languages

copy in Bengali: নকল nokol, দোসরা dōśora
copy in Telugu: అనుకరించు anukariñcu
copy in Malayalam: പകർപ്പ് pakaṟpp, പകർത്തുക pakaṟttuka
copy in Kannada: ನಮೂನೆ namūne
copy in Punjabi: ਦੂਜਾ dūjā, دوجا dūjā, ਨਕ਼ਲ naqal, کاپی kāpī
copy in Gujarati: નકલ કરો, કોપી કરો, કૉપિ કરો
copy in Odia: ଉତ୍ତାର uttāra, ନକଲ nakala, ଜାଲ୍ jāl, ପ୍ରତିଲିପି pratilipi
copy in Sanskrit: प्रतीक prátīka
copy in Assamese: নকল nokol, নকল কৰা nokol kora, দোছোৰা düsüra
copy in Nepali: प्रतिलिपि गर्नुहोस्, प्रतिलिपि, प्रतिलिपि गर्न
copy in Pashto: نسخه nusxá, مثل misl
copy in Tagalog: kopya, hipno, kumopya, mangopya
copy in Arabic: نُسْخَة nusḵa, اِنْتَسَخَ intasaḵa, نَسَخَ nasaḵa
copy in Malay: salinan, salin, naskhah, tiru
copy in Indonesian: salin, eksemplar
copy in Persian: رونوشت runevešt, کپی kopi, پچین pačin, نسخه nosxe
copy in Thai: สำเนา sǎm-nao, คัดลอก kát-lɔ̂ɔk, เลียนแบบ liian-bɛ̀ɛp, ทำตาม
copy in Vietnamese: bản sao, sao chép, bản nhái, bản in
copy in Myanmar: ကော်ပီ kaupi, မိတ္တူ mittu

Examples of copy in a sentence

I already saw their draft. She emailed me a copy yesterday. I can forward it to you so that you have your own copy.
I have not the vanity to think my copy equal to the original.1656, John Denham, preface to The Destruction of Troy:
He spent hours copying alchemical recipes and trying to replicate them in his laboratory.2014 June 21, “Magician’s brain”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8892:
We copy instinctively the voices of our companions, their accents, and their modes of pronunciation.1793, Dugald Stewart, Outlines of Moral Philosophy:

All 40 example sentences with copy

Synonyms of copy

6 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of copy

Forms of copy

Noun
plural	copies
alternative form	coppy
alternative form	coppie
alternative form	copie
Verb
third-person singular present	copies
present participle	copying
past participle	copied
past	copied

Past tense of copy: copied

Plural of copy: copies

Origin of copy

From Middle English copy, copie, from Old French copie (“abundance, plenty; transcript, copy”), from Medieval Latin copia (“reproduction, transcript”), from Latin cōpia (“plenty, abundance”), from *coopia, from co- (“together”) + ops (“wealth, riches”). More at opulent.

From Middle English copien, from Old French copier and Medieval Latin cōpiō.

Words formed from copy

Phrases with copy

52 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with copy

6 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about copy

What does copy mean?: Copy means the result of copying; an identical or nearly identical duplicate of an original.
What is copy in Hindi?: Copy in Hindi is प्रतिलिपि (pratilipi), अनुकृति (anukŕti), कापी (kāpī). See Copy meaning in Hindi.
How do you use copy in a sentence?: I already saw their draft. She emailed me a copy yesterday. I can forward it to you so that you have your own copy.
What part of speech is copy?: Copy can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce copy?: Copy is pronounced /ˈkɒpi/ (UK).
What is the plural of copy?: The plural of copy is copies.

Words near copy in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-copy.ogg.

Cite this entry: “copy.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/copy. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.