Standard Lemma guide

uncopyrightable

adj · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Ineligible for copyright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: copyright, intellectual-property, law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

That for which no one can obtain copyright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1974 April, Dane J. Durham, “Goldstein v. California: Validity of State Copyright under the Copyright and Supremacy Clauses”, in Hastings Law Journal volume 25 (1973–4), page 1201, Indeed, Judge Hand himself admitted that the harshness of a complete denial of protection for statutory uncopyrightables was a persuasive element in the alternative line of thought.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English copy English right English copyright Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English copyrightable English uncopyrightable From un- + copyrightable.