plural piracies
1
: an act of robbery on the high seas
also
: an act resembling such robbery
2
: robbery on the high seas
3
a
: the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright
b
: the illicit accessing of broadcast signals
Examples of piracy in a Sentence
piracy on the high seas
many countries have harsh penalties for piracy now
Recent Examples on the Web
Under the black flag Overall, around 4,000 sea dogs plagued the world’s sea lanes during the golden age of piracy.
—
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
The Napster era made digital music piracy mainstream, but the Spotify era was not its death.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for piracy 
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
The Napster era made digital music piracy mainstream, but the Spotify era was not its death.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for piracy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near piracy
Cite this Entry
“Piracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piracy. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piracy
noun
pi·ra·cy
ˈpī-rə-sē 
plural piracies
1
: robbery on the high seas
2
: the use of another's production or invention without permission
Legal Definition
piracy
noun
pi·ra·cy
ˈpī-rə-sē
plural piracies
1
: an act of robbery especially on the high seas
specifically
: an illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder committed for private ends by crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft against another ship or aircraft on the high seas or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state see also air piracy
2
a
: the unauthorized copying, distribution, or use of another's production (as a film) especially in infringement of a copyright
software piracy
b
: the unauthorized use, interception, or receipt of encoded communications (as satellite cable programming) especially to avoid paying fees for use
the statute's purpose is to proscribe the piracy of programming signals—United States v. Harrell, 983 F.2d 36 (1993)
United States v. Harrell, 983 F.2d 36 (1993)3
: the crime of committing piracy
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