Disable Smart Copy/Paste globally

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?

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.