n. 1
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.
v. 1
To produce an object identical to a given object.
Please copy these reports for me.

Related words

Word family: cop copier copious copyist copyline copylore copyread
Phrases: copy editor copy shop carbon copy hard copy blind carbon copy xerox copy master copy copy machine

Forms

Plural: copies → images, duplicates, facsimiles, photocopies…
Past participle: copied
e.g. copied → reproduced, imitated, followed, mimicked…

Choose the right word

Copy or Duplicate?

A copy is as nearly like the original as the copyist has power to make it; a duplicate is exactly like the original; a carbon copy of a typewritten document must be a duplicate; we may have an inaccurate copy, but never an inaccurate duplicate.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

image We need to present a good image of Algeria abroad.
duplicate I left a duplicate key to the room with my mother.
facsimile The facsimile here given is from the latter book.
photocopy The school charges ten cents per photocopy.
download Animated dots showing file download is in progress.
cc Why is this sentence under a CC BY 2.0 FR license?

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
copy		falling
image		rising
duplicate		falling
facsimile		steady
photocopy		rising
download		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters: cc²
3 letters: ape¹
4 letters: take¹, read¹, fake¹, sham¹
5 letters: issue², image², trace¹, clone¹, mimic², phony², xerox²
6 letters: matter², follow², carbon², phoney²
7 letters: bastard², replica³, tracing², imitate³, forgery³, engross²
8 letters: download², transfer², specimen³, simulate³, likeness²
9 letters: duplicate³, reproduce³, imitation⁴, replicate³, facsimile⁴, photocopy⁴, photostat
10 letters: manuscript³, transcript², transcribe², simulacrum
11 letters: counterpart³, replication⁴, counterfeit³
12 letters: reproduction⁴
13 letters: transcription³, reduplication

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cc² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: copie
Italiano: copia
Español: copia
Deutsch: Kopie
Català: còpia