good artists copy, great artists steal

proverb

It is better to selectively incorporate elements of other people's work rather than copying them wholesale.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. It is better to selectively incorporate elements of other people's work rather than copying them wholesale.
Cite this entry
APA

good artists copy, great artists steal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good%20artists%20copy%2C%20great%20artists%20steal

MLA

“good artists copy, great artists steal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good%20artists%20copy%2C%20great%20artists%20steal. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “good artists copy, great artists steal,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good%20artists%20copy%2C%20great%20artists%20steal.

Source: good artists copy, great artists steal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.