← DictionaryCopy
Written words produced to persuade or prompt action.
Words written to get a result.
What It Is
Copy sits on the Content side of the work, in the Craft area. The working definition is simple: written words produced to persuade or prompt action.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. That is the version worth keeping, because it survives contact with a real project.
How It's Used
Copy comes up in editorial planning, briefs and the day-to-day work of publishing. It is usually discussed together with Copywriting, Headline and Microcopy. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Getting Copy wrong is expensive in a quiet way. When it is unclear, output goes up and effect goes sideways. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
Think of it as a name on a box. Open the box and this is what is inside: Words written to get a result.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Copy as shorthand and expect no explanation — written words produced to persuade or prompt action.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: words written to get a result.
The Bottom Line
Treat Copy as a decision, not a description. Words written to get a result.