ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pirate

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈpaɪɹət// UK //pˈaɪɹət// pi·rate
  1. 1 sea criminal (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a person on a ship who attacks other ships at sea to steal their cargo.

    a person who commits robbery or violence at sea, typically by attacking merchant vessels.

    Example

    The captain warned the crew to watch for pirates in the dangerous waters.

    Example

    Historically, pirates operated in regions where central naval authority was weak, allowing them to plunder merchant shipping with relative impunity.
  2. 2 copyright violator (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    someone who illegally copies and shares things like movies, music, or computer programs.

    a person who infringes on intellectual property rights by reproducing or distributing protected works without authorization.

    Example

    The software company is trying to stop pirates from sharing their new game online.

    Example

    Digital pirates often use encrypted networks to distribute high-definition copies of films before their official theatrical release.
    • infringer
    • bootlegger
  3. 3 sports team member (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    a player or fan of a sports team called the Pirates.

    a member, coach, or supporter of any athletic organization using 'Pirates' as their official moniker.

    Example

    He has been a lifelong Pirate and never misses a home game.

    Example

    The veteran Pirate announced his retirement after leading the team to a surprising victory in the championship series.

  4. 4 to copy illegally (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to illegally copy or download music, films, or software without paying.

    to reproduce or distribute copyrighted material without the permission of the rights holder.

    Example

    It is much easier to pirate movies today than it was twenty years ago.

    Example

    The studio estimated they lost millions in revenue because the blockbuster was pirated and uploaded to the internet weeks early.
  5. 5 to poach employees (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Dialect

    to persuade a talented worker to leave their current company and join yours.

    to recruit or entice an employee away from a competing organization.

    Example

    The tech giant tried to pirate the lead engineer from the smaller startup.

    Example

    The firm was accused of unethical behavior after attempting to pirate several senior executives from its primary rival during a merger.

    Usage

    Commonly used in Philippine English and business contexts.

    Teacher's tip

    While used globally in business as 'poaching', the specific term 'pirate' for recruitment is particularly common in the Philippines.
    • poach
    • headhunt
  6. 6 illegal or unauthorized (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describes something that is an illegal copy or an unofficial broadcast.

    referring to products or broadcasts that are illegally produced or transmitted without a license.

    Example

    He bought a pirate DVD on the street, but the quality was terrible.

    Example

    During the 1960s, pirate radio stations broadcast from ships in international waters to bypass strict government regulations on music.
Origin

From Middle English pirate, pirat, pyrat, from Old French pirate, from Latin pīrāta (“pirate”), from Ancient Greek πειρατής (peiratḗs), from πεῖρα (peîra, “trial, attempt, plot”). Displaced native Old English wīċing, which was the word for both "pirate" and "viking".

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 20, 2026