According to Dictionary.com the meaning of the word plagiarism is the following:

  1. The unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.
  2. Something used and represented in this manner.

Many people do not think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas for their own use and they do not think that this act can actually be considered as a "fraud". Their main argument is that how can words and ideas really be stolen?
Well according to US law "borrowing" of ideas without permission is actually an act of stealing. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).

All of the following are considered plagiarism: (Source)

  • turning in someone else's work as your own;
  • copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit;
  • failing to put a quotation in quotation marks;
  • giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation;
  • changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
  • copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)
    • Also note ()that
  • Citing a source when the material wasn’t obtained from that source also constitutes a violation of University regulations
  • Students commit false citation when they cite sources they didn’t directly consult; such a violation is subject to the same penalties as plagiarism.
  • Without proper permission, submitting the identical or similar work in more than one course is also a violation of University regulations. Unauthorized multiple submission of academic work is subject to the same penalties as plagiarism.