fraudulent
Americanadjective
-
characterized by, involving, or proceeding from fraud, as actions, enterprise, methods, or gains.
a fraudulent scheme to evade taxes.
-
given to or using fraud, as a person; cheating; dishonest.
- Synonyms:
- unscrupulous, underhanded, crooked
-
false or deceiving; phony; misleading.
They’ve concocted a series of fraudulent pretexts for the invasion that collapse instantly on examination.
adjective
-
acting with or having the intent to deceive
-
relating to or proceeding from fraud or dishonest action
Other Word Forms
- fraudulence noun
- fraudulency noun
- fraudulently adverb
- nonfraudulence noun
- nonfraudulency noun
- nonfraudulent adjective
- nonfraudulently adverb
- unfraudulent adjective
- unfraudulently adverb
Etymology
Origin of fraudulent
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin fraudulentus; fraud, -ulent
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.
Facebook said it does not "allow fraudulent activity" and works "closely with law enforcement to support investigations and keep scammers off" its platforms.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
The person I spoke to seemed to know who I was—possibly from caller ID—and appeared to have information about me and the fraudulent charge.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
If the money originally came from a compromised account, the rightful owner will eventually flag the transaction as fraudulent.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
One of the reasons fraudulent dealers can get away with their crimes is because autograph verification is an unregulated process in the UK.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
He rambled on with this fraudulent recollection while Henry, pale and ill, endured his prods and backslaps as a well-trained dog will tolerate the pummeling of a rough child.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
