What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is fundamentally defined as the act of taking someone else’s ideas, expressions, or work and presenting them as your own without proper acknowledgment. This can occur both intentionally and unintentionally, where the individual may not realize they are breaching ethical standards. The correct answer highlights that this deceptive practice involves not just a conscious act of theft but can also happen inadvertently if someone fails to credit the original source.

Understanding plagiarism's broad definition helps reinforce the importance of integrity in academic and professional writing. The other options, while reflective of concerns around academic honesty, do not capture the full scope of plagiarism. For example, using exact words or paraphrasing may still require citation, but if the source is appropriately credited, those actions do not constitute plagiarism. Therefore, the essence of the correct definition centers on the misappropriation of ideas or works—an essential principle in maintaining scholarly integrity.