copyleft

C3O1P3Y4L1E1F4T1

noun

The philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.

“I have placed my program under copyleft.”

Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nouncopyleft (usually uncountable, plural copylefts)

plural copylefts

  1. uncountableusuallyThe philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.

    They believe in copyleft because they want their software to be used freely by anyone.

  2. uncountableusuallyA software license that follows this philosophy.

    I have placed my program under copyleft.

    1 more example

    The GNU General Public License is a copyleft licence.

verbcopyleft (third-person singular simple present copylefts, present participle copylefting, simple past and past participle copylefted)

present singular third person copylefts · participle present copylefting · participle past copylefted · past copylefted

  1. transitiveTo license under a copyleft license.

    Linus Torvalds copylefted the Linux kernel.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
copyleftist

Origin

A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque copyleft
  • copyleftphilosophy
French gauche d'auteur, copyleft
  • gauche d'auteurphilosophy
  • copyleftphilosophy
German Copyleft
  • Copyleftphilosophy
Indonesian hak tiru
  • hak tiruphilosophy
Russian копилефт, авторское ле́во
  • копилефт (kopileft)philosophy
  • авторское ле́во (avtorskoje lévo)philosophy
Spanish copyleft
  • copyleftphilosophy
Vietnamese bản quyền ngược
  • bản quyền ngượcphilosophy
Cite this entry
APA

copyleft. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/copyleft

MLA

“copyleft.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/copyleft. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “copyleft,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/copyleft.

Source: copyleft on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.