What defines plagiarism?

• A. Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or words without credit.
• B. Plagiarism occurs when you copy exact sentences.
• C. Citing sources properly prevents plagiarism.
• D. Plagiarism is using your own ideas.

Answer: (A)

Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or words without credit. This covers both copying exact phrases and presenting someone’s ideas as your own when you haven’t attributed the source. It’s not limited to verbatim copying; even paraphrased material needs a citation because the original ideas are still being used. Citing sources properly helps prevent plagiarism, but it’s not the definition of plagiarism itself—it’s the practice that safeguards against it. Using your own ideas isn’t plagiarism, unless you present them as someone else’s or fail to acknowledge sources you did use.