fraud
Americannoun
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deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.
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a particular instance of such deceit or trickery.
mail fraud; election frauds.
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any deception, trickery, or humbug.
That diet book is a fraud and a waste of time.
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a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur.
noun
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deliberate deception, trickery, or cheating intended to gain an advantage
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an act or instance of such deception
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something false or spurious
his explanation was a fraud
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informal a person who acts in a false or deceitful way
Related Words
See duplicity.
Other Word Forms
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
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The Best Starting Words for Wordle
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Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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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.
Bloom, 62, pleaded no contest on Tuesday to 18 counts of grand theft by deception and securities fraud.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Prosecutors charged Mr. Van Dyke with commodities and wire fraud, among other violations, and the platforms cooperated with federal investigators.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
“This fraud is an idiosyncratic fraud,” said Kaur, according to a FactSet transcript of its call.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
He is wanted by German police for alleged fraud and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
There was the perfectly understandable fear of being exposed as a fraud, and then there was the deeper fear that my students might hate me.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
