It's sound academic principle to always define your terms before you use them. Hence, let's consult a dictionary and find out what exactly plagiarism is:
Except, that's not quite right.
Why?
1. Authorization doesn't make a whiff of difference. Most fine-standing institutions of higher learning won't even let you plagiarize yourself—a situation where, you'd assume, authorization was given, since you're the author.
Hence, plagiarism does not depend on the consent of the plagiarized.
2. Plagiarism doesn't exist only when both language and thoughts are used. Instead: plagiarism is the close imitation of the language or thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. One, the other, or both.
Hence, plagiarism can involve either words or ideas, or both.
To recap, then, a revised definition of plagiarism:
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.
Except, that's not quite right.
Why?
1. Authorization doesn't make a whiff of difference. Most fine-standing institutions of higher learning won't even let you plagiarize yourself—a situation where, you'd assume, authorization was given, since you're the author.
Hence, plagiarism does not depend on the consent of the plagiarized.
2. Plagiarism doesn't exist only when both language and thoughts are used. Instead: plagiarism is the close imitation of the language or thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. One, the other, or both.
Hence, plagiarism can involve either words or ideas, or both.
To recap, then, a revised definition of plagiarism:
The use of the language or thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own work.