counterfeit
Americanadjective
noun
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an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.
- Synonyms:
- sham, falsification
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Archaic. a copy.
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Archaic. a close likeness; portrait.
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Obsolete. impostor; pretender.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to make counterfeits, as of money.
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to feign; dissemble.
adjective
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made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged
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simulated; sham
counterfeit affection
noun
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an imitation designed to deceive or defraud
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archaic an impostor; cheat
verb
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(tr) to make a fraudulent imitation of
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(intr) to make counterfeits
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to feign; simulate
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(tr) to imitate; copy
Synonym Usage
See false.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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counterfeitnessnoun
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noncounterfeitadjective
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counterfeiternoun
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counterfeitlyadverb
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uncounterfeitedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has counterfeitedperfect 3rd person singular
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have counterfeitedperfect
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have been counterfeitingperfect progressive
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has been counterfeitingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are counterfeitingprogressive
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counterfeitssingular 3rd person
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am counterfeitingprogressive 1st person singular
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is counterfeitingprogressive 3rd person singular
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counterfeitingparticiple
Past
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had counterfeitedperfect
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had been counterfeitingperfect progressive
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were counterfeitingprogressive plural
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was counterfeitingprogressive singular
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counterfeitedsimple
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counterfeitedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of counterfeit
First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English countrefet “false, forged,” from Anglo-French cuntrefet, Old French contrefait, contrefet, past participle of contrefaire, contrefere “to copy, imitate,” equivalent to conter- counter- + fere “to make, do,” ultimately from Latin facere ( see fact); (verb) Middle English countrefeten, verbal derivative of countrefet
Explanation
A counterfeit is a fake or a forgery. If you painted an uncanny copy of the "Mona Lisa" and tried to pass it off as the original, you'd have a counterfeit on your hands. An exact imitation of anything — a work of art, a ten dollar bill — is a counterfeit, and the act of creating the fake copy is the verb to counterfeit. You can also describe the forgery using the adjective form of counterfeit: a counterfeit Rolex watch. In Old French, the word contre, "counter or against", together with the word faire, "to make," joined together to mean "to make in imitation," which led to our counterfeit.
Vocabulary lists containing counterfeit
Against All Odds: Contra and Counter
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Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Toronto police said Monday they seized more than 16,000 fake football jerseys and flags, along with two counterfeit trophies.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
The pair purchased authentic designer goods online, including designer clothing and cosmetics, before returning counterfeit versions for refunds, investigators say.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Major online platforms say they are "working hard to protect customers" by removing unsafe and counterfeit goods from sale.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
"The biggest problem with Pakistani medicine was that we used to receive counterfeit and fake medicines," ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman told AFP.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
When the counterfeit Beast was perfected, the knights took it away and hid it in a cave at the foot of the cliffs, above high-water mark.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
