forgery

American  

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

noun

• forgeries
  plural

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.

5. Archaic. invention; artifice.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forgeries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of forgery

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

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Explanation

If you painted a copy of the Mona Lisa and sold it to a museum, claiming it was the original, your painting could be called a forgery, and the crime you've committed is also forgery. Forgery is a legal word describing a white-collar crime that could involve faking a famous painting, making a false passport that claims you're the King of Swaziland, or copying your boss's signature onto a document. Both the crime of forgery and the sense of forge that means "to make" or "to sculpt" come from the Latin root word fabricare, or "fabricate."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forgery forgeries

Now, the family is suing more than a half-dozen individuals and companies across Florida, Philadelphia and Peru, whom they claim served as “suppliers, fake authenticators and distributors” in an elaborate and far-reaching forgery scheme.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

The police have launched a manhunt for Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who had been presenting himself as the "PFIPC director general", on suspicion of forgery, impersonation and related offences.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Prosecutors targeted six individuals with charges focused on document forgery and breach of trust, The Wall Street Journal reported External link.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The Mormon Will, however, received the most thorough scrutiny, enduring a seven-month jury trial and dueling testimonies by forensic experts until it was eventually declared a forgery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

He spent a year and a half in an orphanage while his father served a jail term for forgery.

From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose

Bardella, 31, tipped to be prime minister if Le Pen becomes France's president, wrote on X he "formally" rejected the allegations which he described as "crude forgeries", saying he would take legal action against Mediapart.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

The expert concluded that Hsieh’s signatures in the surprise will are forgeries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

He wouldn't tell us where he's now living or answer our questions about the alleged forgeries, or the investors he claimed he had, and asked us to email him with our questions instead.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025

Lazarus rose in the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department, becoming a detective in charge of art forgeries and thefts.

From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024

FBI lab experts confirmed that the women’s signatures were excellent forgeries.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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Related Words

• falsification

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