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If I copy a word and paste it at the beginning of a filename in Finder, a space it automatically added with it. For example, if I copy the word fruit and attempt to paste it at the beginning of a filename basket, I would get fruit basket instead of fruitbasket (notice the automatically-added space).

I can disable this feature in Safari and TextEdit, but the setting appears to be missing in Finder. Furthermore, as I never use this feature, I would much prefer for it to be disabled globally. Can this be done?

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I think you have confused copying a word and copying the letters of a word.

Copying a word (double click on a word, then command-C) does include a trailing space which is included when you paste in a filename. In some apps copying a word this way also includes a leading space.

But copying the letters of a word (click and drag over the word, then command-C) does not include the trailing space. A paste in a filename then behaves as you want.

I realise this does not explicitly answer your question, but I hope it clarifies copying words.

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    That does help clear things up a bit. I usually double-click to highlight words. Indeed, highlighting the letters of a word and pasting them does not produce a trailing space. Thank you.
    – leetbacoon
    Commented Aug 15, 2021 at 7:46
  • Interesting followup, I found out that this does not affect Terminal, so there has to be something special Finder is seeing. Maybe (just a theory), along with the copied word, a variable like copiedAsWord=true is set, and Finder checks for this and adds a space, whereas Terminal ignores the variable entirely.
    – leetbacoon
    Commented Aug 16, 2021 at 20:27
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    @leetbacoon I hadn't noticed that before. I suspect that it is something special that Terminal does as other apps respect the trailing space on words.
    – Gilby
    Commented Aug 16, 2021 at 23:48

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