fraud

American  

[frawd] / frɔd /

noun

1. deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.

2. a particular instance of such deceit or trickery.

   mail fraud; election frauds.

3. any deception, trickery, or humbug.

   That diet book is a fraud and a waste of time.

   Synonyms:

   hoax, wile

4. a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur.

---

fraud British  

/ frɔːd /

noun

1. deliberate deception, trickery, or cheating intended to gain an advantage

2. an act or instance of such deception

3. something false or spurious

   his explanation was a fraud

4. informal a person who acts in a false or deceitful way

---

Related Words

See duplicity.

Other Word Forms

• antifraud adjective
• fraudful adjective
• fraudfully adverb
• prefraud noun

Etymology

Origin of fraud

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fraude, from Old French, from Medieval Latin fraud-, stem of fraus “deceit, injury”

Example Sentences

Creditors blame fraud, though they seem to have missed bright red underwriting flags.

From The Wall Street Journal

Asfura, a conservative businessman, was declared winner of the presidential election on December 24, weeks after a tight race marred by delays and allegations of fraud.

From Barron's

Communities have been targeted in immigration raids as the government alleges large-scale benefit fraud in Minnesota, the US state with the largest Somali community in the US.

From BBC

French, who plays 'widow' Debbie Fendon, said: "This is a sitcom about a very strange little oddball family who commit a massive fraud but pretend that it's no big deal."

From BBC

By August 2017, however, Do was issued a notice by the Division of Workers’ Compensation of its intent to suspend him for a previous fraud case, according to the plea agreement.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blackmail
• deceit
• extortion
• graft
• hoax
• misrepresentation
• scam