fraud
Americannoun
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deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.
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a particular instance of such deceit or trickery.
mail fraud; election frauds.
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any deception, trickery, or humbug.
That diet book is a fraud and a waste of time.
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a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur.
noun
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deliberate deception, trickery, or cheating intended to gain an advantage
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an act or instance of such deception
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something false or spurious
his explanation was a fraud
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informal a person who acts in a false or deceitful way
Synonym Usage
See duplicity.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of fraud
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fraude, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fraud-, stem of fraus “deceit, injury”
Explanation
A fraud is a something that deceives or tricks another person, usually to get their money. Frauds are dishonest. A fraud is something that sounds too good to be true — because it isn't. If you're promised millions of dollars by anyone on the Internet, that's got to be a fraud. Anyone trying to sell you a bridge is committing fraud. Identity theft is a type of fraud. Democrats and Republicans frequently accuse the other party of fraud when it comes to counting votes. You can also tell a person who is fake or an impostor is a fraud.
Vocabulary lists containing fraud
A Web of Lies
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The Best Starting Words for Wordle
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Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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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.
A "pardon after completion of sentence" would mean that Bankman-Fried's conviction on various counts of fraud would be forgiven after he serves his jail sentence.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
He made around $2 billion in cattle transactions to build his “ghost herd,” according to bank records filed in Texas federal bankruptcy court, which is trying to pick apart the web of alleged fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Essayli has confirmed on X that his office “has multiple election fraud investigations underway,” in coordination with the FBI in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Around that time, a Rabo credit officer filed an internal report about McClain saying the account had signs of check kiting—a type of fraud that exploits the time it takes for banks to clear checks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Doctor fraud We have five more minutes remaining, Nicholas.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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.
