photocopy

1 of 2

noun

pho·​to·​copy ˈfō-tə-ˌkä-pē 

: a copy of usually printed material made with a process in which an image is formed by the action of light usually on an electrically charged surface

photocopy

2 of 2

verb

photocopied; photocopying; photocopies

transitive verb

: to make a photocopy of

intransitive verb

: to make a photocopy

photocopier noun

Examples of photocopy in a Sentence

Noun

She made a photocopy of the letter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mirikitani urged his patrons to add their signatures to his untitled collages, sometimes in exchange for a photocopy of the day’s newspaper or a donation of art supplies). —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

In January, the department implemented a new mail policy in which prisoners will receive photocopies of confidential and legal mail instead of the originals, which are shredded to prevent contraband from entering the facility. —CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Verb

The effect of all these wildly inventive choices is of a splintered consciousness — and of an image that’s been photocopied so many times its pixels have become blobs. —Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026

She's tried to convince people to lend logbooks or family journals to the historical society to photocopy for data collection. —Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

Noun

1879, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing photocopy

• photocopy machine

Rhymes for photocopy

• atopy
• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• poppy
• sloppy

Kids Definition

photocopy

noun

pho·​to·​copy

ˈfōt-ə-ˌkäp-ē

: a copy of usually printed material made using a process in which an image is formed by the action of light on an electrically charged surface

photocopy verb