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Synonyms

forgery

American  
[fawr-juh-ree, fohr-] / ˈfɔr dʒə ri, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

plural

forgeries

  1. the crime of falsely making or altering a writing by which the legal rights or obligations of another person are apparently affected; simulated signing of another person's name to any such writing whether or not it is also the forger's name.

  2. the production of a spurious work that is claimed to be genuine, as a coin, a painting, or the like.

  3. something, as a coin, a work of art, or a writing, produced by forgery.

  4. an act of producing something forged. forge.

  5. Archaic. invention; artifice.

forgery British  
/ ˈfɔːdʒərɪ /

noun

  1. the act of reproducing something for a deceitful or fraudulent purpose

  2. something forged, such as a work of art or an antique

  3. criminal law

    1. the false making or altering of any document, such as a cheque or character reference (and including a postage stamp), or any tape or disc on which information is stored, intending that anyone shall accept it as genuine and so act to his or another's prejudice

    2. something forged

  4. criminal law the counterfeiting of a seal or die with intention to defraud

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of forgery

First recorded in 1565–75; forge 1 + -ery

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.

I spent 17 years at the helm of the California Air Resources Board, and I am deeply disturbed by the potential co-opting of public input processes using forgery through automated tools.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The move came after Serbia's culture minister was indicted over alleged abuse of office and forgery of an official document that had allowed the removal of the site's "cultural-heritage status".

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

An Affinity spokesman said the firm had no connection to the alleged forgery and has been reviewing the project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

The high court reversed the decision, allowing the prosecution on forgery charges to proceed.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

“Sad, sad. A business down the drain, unhappy young idealists stooping to forgery to get even.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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.