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.
According to trade association UK Finance, fraudulent spending on UK-issued debit and credit cards is on the rise.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
During the pandemic, the state paid an estimated $30 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims, including to state prisoners and criminals who used patently false identities like then-Sen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
While even reliable AI detectors can produce false results, researchers say a crop of fraudulent tools has emerged online, easily weaponized to discredit authentic content and tarnish reputations.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 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
She laughed and gave him a hug, which felt just as fraudulent.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
