English Reference
Adjective

copyrighted

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈkɑpiˌɹaɪtɪd/ UK /kˈɒpɪɹˌaɪtɪd/ copy·right·ed Law

adj.protected by law so that other people cannot copy or sell it without permission. You use this to describe creative work like books, music, or art.

adj.protected by legal exclusive rights granted to the creator for a fixed period. Often used attributively to describe intellectual property or creative works.


SIMPLE

You cannot use that copyrighted music in your video.

CONTEXTUAL

The photographer sued the website for using her copyrighted images without paying a licensing fee.

COMPLEX

While the underlying facts of a news story are public, the specific arrangement of words in a copyrighted article remains the legal property of the publisher.

Usage

Typically used as an adjective to describe the status of a work; often follows linking verbs like 'is' or 'remains'.

But Olly - who has dealt with these before when he has mistakenly posted copyrighted material - says they are usually easy to deal with, and "you can easily tell the difference".

BBC News· 8 Sept 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated