counterfeit

American  

[koun-ter-fit] / ˈkaʊn tərˌfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged.

   counterfeit dollar bills.

   Synonyms:

   bogus, spurious

2. pretended; unreal.

   counterfeit grief.

   Synonyms:

   ersatz, fake, mock, make-believe, pretend, feigned, sham

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noun

1. an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.

   Synonyms:

   sham, falsification

2. Archaic. a copy.

3. Archaic. a close likeness; portrait.

4. Obsolete. impostor; pretender.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.

   Synonyms:

   falsify, copy

2. to resemble.

3. to simulate.

verb (used without object)

1. to make counterfeits, as of money.

2. to feign; dissemble.

counterfeit British  

/ ˈkaʊntəfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged

2. simulated; sham

   counterfeit affection

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noun

1. an imitation designed to deceive or defraud

2. archaic an impostor; cheat

verb

1. (tr) to make a fraudulent imitation of

2. (intr) to make counterfeits

3. to feign; simulate

4. (tr) to imitate; copy

Related Words

See false.

Other Word Forms

• counterfeiter
  noun
• counterfeitly
  adverb
• counterfeitness
  noun
• noncounterfeit
  adjective
• uncounterfeited
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Counterfeit and contaminated products could be crushed by a forklift or incinerated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

Counterfeit coins remain a threat to global currencies, with malicious actors flooding markets with fakes.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2024

In its statement, Roche said: "Avastin is not approved for any use in the eye. Counterfeit medicines pose a health risk to patients because their content may be ineffective and contain harmful ingredients."

From Reuters • Sep. 25, 2023

On Friday, the State Department published the more detailed warning, “Health Alert: Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals,” offering more specifics about the concerns raised in recent reporting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2023

Published in 1991, Roosevelt’s initial report on Marajo was like the antimatter version of Counterfeit Paradise.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• bogus
• copied
• false
• fictitious
• forged
• fraudulent
• phony
• spurious