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
Etymology
Origin of fraudulent
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin fraudulentus; see fraud, -ulent
Explanation
Something fraudulent is intentionally false and meant to harm or deceive. That email message from the Sultan of Brunei offering you millions of dollars just might be fraudulent. From the fact that the word fraudulent is frequently teamed with the word scheme, you can get the idea that something fraudulent is sneaky, snarky, and just plain wrong. A fraudulent scheme is one designed to gain something at the expense of someone else. It might be small — trying to use an expired coupon — or bigger — lying on your taxes. Whatever its form, planning something fraudulent is cheating, and it's wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing fraudulent
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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"Bones" Producer's Lawsuit Full of Great Vocabulary
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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.
Arts Council England told us it took allegations of fraud seriously and investigated where evidence was "suggested to have been misleading or fraudulent".
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
A BBC undercover investigation into abuse of a fast-track UK immigration scheme has found companies offering to help migrants pose as talented artists and tech experts to make fraudulent visa applications.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
In response, A-CAP’s insurer Haymarket sued Leadenhall, alleging that it knew about fraudulent activity at 777 Partners as early as 2022 and concealed that information from A-CAP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Prosecutors alleged in the complaint that the applications included false and fraudulent statements such as the number of employees and average monthly payroll.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
But to Burry, the judgment of the marketplace was fraudulent, and Joel Greenblatt didn’t know what he was talking about.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
