copied

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   Made something that is the same as an original document, file or picture.

   Grammar: Usually takes an object: she copied the page; it can also stand alone: he copied and pasted.

   Patterns

   • copy something from something
   • copy something to something

   I copied the recipe from my grandmother's notebook.

   She copied the files onto a memory stick.

   He copied the poster and pinned the duplicate to the wall.

2. 2verbtransitive

   Did the same as someone else, by imitating their actions or style.

   Grammar: Takes an object: he copied his sister's style.

   Patterns

   • copy someone
   • copy something from someone

   The little boy copied everything his older brother did.

   Other shops quickly copied the idea of a loyalty card.

   She copied his dance steps after watching him twice.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitivedisapproving

   Used someone else's work and pretended it was your own, as in a test or essay.

   Grammar: Often followed by from: she copied from her friend.

   Patterns

   • copy from someone
   • copy something from someone

   He was caught after he copied three paragraphs from the internet.

   Two students had clearly copied from each other.

   She would never have copied the answers if she had studied.

4. 4verbtransitiveinformal

   Sent a copy of an email or message to another person as well as the main reader.

   Grammar: Takes a person as the object: I copied my manager.

   Patterns

   • copy someone in on something
   • copy someone on something

   I copied the whole team on my reply.

   She copied her lawyer on the email.

   He should have copied his boss before sending it.

Word forms

Common combinations

copied and pasted

He copied and pasted the address into the form.

copied from

The answer was copied from the textbook.

copied exactly

The signature had been copied exactly.

copied onto

The photos were copied onto a new drive.

widely copied

The design was widely copied by rival brands.

Synonyms and how they differ

duplicated

Duplicated suggests making an exact second version, often by machine, while copied also covers imitating behavior.

imitated

Imitated is about behavior, style or manner, while copied can be used for exact documents and files.

cheated

Cheated names the dishonest act in a test, while copied only describes the action of taking the content.

reproduced

Reproduced is more formal and often used for images or text published again, while copied is the plain everyday word.

Opposites

Word family

copy verb

to make a duplicate or imitate

copy noun

a duplicate, or one of many printed items

copier noun

a machine that makes copies of documents

copyist noun

a person who copies documents by hand

copycat noun

a person who imitates others, often used critically

Commonly confused: copied or copyed?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “copied”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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