fraud

[ frawd ]

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

/ 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

Other Words From

• fraudful adjective
• fraudful·ly adverb
• anti·fraud adjective
• pre·fraud noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraud¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraud¹

C14: from Old French fraude , from Latin fraus deception

Synonym Study

See duplicity.

Example Sentences

Instead, she became the victim of romance fraud and was conned into handing over £42,000 - only for police to initially dismiss her case as a civil matter.

From BBC

Netanyahu then sought to downplay the significance of the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and stress his political legacy.

From BBC

Marshals Service since 2019 as part of an investment fraud investigation and prosecution.

From Los Angeles Times

He was allegedly one of the key architects of the Goldenberg scandal - a major gold and currency fraud in the 1990s which almost bankrupted Kenya and involved senior members of Kenya's government.

From BBC

Mr Sun, who is currently fighting fraud charges in the US related to his own crypto business, did not respond to questions about what prompted his interest in the tokens, which cannot be traded.

From BBC

Related Words

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