fraud
Americannoun
-
frauds
plural
-
deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.
-
a particular instance of such deceit or trickery.
mail fraud; election frauds.
-
any deception, trickery, or humbug.
That diet book is a fraud and a waste of time.
-
a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur.
noun
-
deliberate deception, trickery, or cheating intended to gain an advantage
-
an act or instance of such deception
-
something false or spurious
his explanation was a fraud
-
informal a person who acts in a false or deceitful way
Synonym Usage
See duplicity.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fraud
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fraude, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fraud-, stem of fraus “deceit, injury”
Explanation
A fraud is a something that deceives or tricks another person, usually to get their money. Frauds are dishonest. A fraud is something that sounds too good to be true — because it isn't. If you're promised millions of dollars by anyone on the Internet, that's got to be a fraud. Anyone trying to sell you a bridge is committing fraud. Identity theft is a type of fraud. Democrats and Republicans frequently accuse the other party of fraud when it comes to counting votes. You can also tell a person who is fake or an impostor is a fraud.
Vocabulary lists containing fraud
A Web of Lies
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Best Starting Words for Wordle
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
After the deadly crashes, Boeing negotiated a “deferred prosecution agreement” with the Justice Department, which meant that criminal fraud charges would be dropped if the company avoided more scandals and accidents for three years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Billions of dollars the General Services Administration claims to have uncovered in “suspected fraud by federal contractors.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Operation Jackal IV - which took place between November 2025 and June 2026 - investigated how the groups laundered money and how financial fraud cyber crimes, such as cryptocurrency and email compromise fraud, were conducted.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
He said worry for his wife has faded, even though people convicted of fraud can face 10 years in jail.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Astrology developed into a strange combination of observations, mathematics and careful record-keeping with fuzzy thinking and pious fraud.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Banks have been grappling with a surge in scams and frauds driven by sophisticated criminal operations located in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
But the line between frauds and scams can be blurry in practice, according to a February letter that Lillie’s lawyer at the time sent to multiple Senate committees to describe her allegations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
A congressional review in 1952 found that hundreds had been frauds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
"These scams were the dominant variety three or four years ago, but frauds have now moved to another level, and are far more sophisticated."
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
The professionals made no secret of their disdain for the amateurs, whom they regarded as annoyances, cranks, or frauds.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
