fraudulent
Americanadjective
-
characterized by, involving, or proceeding from fraud, as actions, enterprise, methods, or gains.
a fraudulent scheme to evade taxes.
-
given to or using fraud, as a person; cheating; dishonest.
- Synonyms:
- unscrupulous, underhanded, crooked
-
false or deceiving; phony; misleading.
They’ve concocted a series of fraudulent pretexts for the invasion that collapse instantly on examination.
adjective
-
acting with or having the intent to deceive
-
relating to or proceeding from fraud or dishonest action
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fraudulent
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin fraudulentus; see fraud, -ulent
Explanation
Something fraudulent is intentionally false and meant to harm or deceive. That email message from the Sultan of Brunei offering you millions of dollars just might be fraudulent. From the fact that the word fraudulent is frequently teamed with the word scheme, you can get the idea that something fraudulent is sneaky, snarky, and just plain wrong. A fraudulent scheme is one designed to gain something at the expense of someone else. It might be small — trying to use an expired coupon — or bigger — lying on your taxes. Whatever its form, planning something fraudulent is cheating, and it's wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing fraudulent
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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"Bones" Producer's Lawsuit Full of Great Vocabulary
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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.
Fraudulent procurement practices could also have been a factor in the dockside-sinking of a prototype of a new Chinese submarine, the Pentagon said last year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Fraudulent acts and statements would remain concealed for longer periods of time.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
"Except for a Fraudulent Case against me, I had no idea who E. Jean Carroll was," the text read.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2024
Moira: Fraudulent Theater Polymath should be the name of a band, or maybe a restaurant.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2023
Fraudulent Medical Treatments Medicine is a fertile area for pseudoscientific claims for a simple reason.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
