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Tech & Science dictionary results for deepfake.

deepfake

American  

[deep-feyk] / ˈdipˌfeɪk /

Or deep fake

noun

1. a fake, digitally manipulated video or audio file produced by using deep learning, an advanced type of machine learning, and typically featuring a person’s likeness and voice in a situation that did not actually occur.

   Pornographic deepfakes have caused real harm to women whose faces have been superimposed over those of porn actresses.

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Etymology

Origin of deepfake

First recorded in 2015–20; deep (learning) ( def. ) + fake ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A deepfake is an altered photo or video that's completely different from the original but still looks totally realistic. A film that appears to show your school principal winning the U.S. Open — it's probably a deepfake. Deepfakes are manipulated recordings that are made using artificial intelligence. Unlike older techniques for creating false images, deepfakes seem so authentic that you're not sure what's true and what isn't. They can be used for entertainment, to bring back long-dead Hollywood stars or swap characters from different movies. But deepfakes are often intended to deliberately mislead people by spreading fake (but real-looking) information. Deepfake was coined in 2017.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deepfake

But the suitor was an AI deepfake, making her yet another victim of an online romance scam.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Founded long before the generative AI boom created the risk of calls using "deepfake" voices resembling real friends or family, the company is now working on filtering potentially fraudulent conversations.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

When deepfake technology first came on the scene around 2015, it required hundreds or thousands of photos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

"Whether an intimate image is a manipulated deepfake or a real photograph shared without consent, the real-world harm is identical," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

It has since become illegal to create or request a non-consensual deepfake image of an adult in the UK.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026