Technical Definition
Duplicate content is substantially similar content appearing at multiple URLs. Causes: www/non-www, HTTP/HTTPS, trailing slashes, URL parameters, print versions, scraped content. Google doesn't penalize duplicate content but may not rank all versions or may choose an undesired canonical. Solutions: canonical tags, 301 redirects, meta robots noindex, consistent internal linking.
Simple Explanation (ELI13)
Duplicate content is when the same or very similar content exists at different URLs. This can happen accidentally, like when your site works with and without 'www.' Google doesn't punish you for it, but it might get confused about which version to rank. Use canonical tags to tell Google which version is the 'real' one.
Related Terms
Canonical Tag, URL Parameters, Content Syndication, Scraped Content
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