Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:23:27 EDT
Pirate Versus Privateer
- Pirate
- The noun pirate originally named a raider of sailing ships. Pirates
stole the cargo of commercial trading vessels. Today, the term is more likely
to be applied to thieves of intellectual property or to the instigators of
corporate takeovers.
- Privateer
- The noun privateer names a pirate licensed by a government to raid the commercial ships of its enemies. Privateer ships retain a portion of the cargo as payment for their services.