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.

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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Etymology

Origin of forgery

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

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

It is, however, a novel use of her forgery skills, and an assignment she’s too curious to pass up.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

You sense that, to him, forgery is as creatively dull as a factory-issued franchise sequel.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Several residents have shared their "terrifying" experiences at international borders, where issues with Isle of Man passports have led to deportations, detentions, accusations of forgery, and emergency travel documents.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The announcement came after Serbian Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic and three others were 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 • Dec. 16, 2025

There are lessons in foreign languages, social customs, literature, martial arts, the use of firearms, disguises, various accents, methods of forgery, and fine points of the law.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• falsification