fraudulent

fraudulent — adjective

1. describing actions or behaviour that involve cheating someone in a way that is a

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing actions or behaviour that involve cheating someone in a way that is against the law

Example

Ari’s company was shut down after a fraudulent business practice was exposed by journalists.

collocation: fraudulent + business practice

The auditor discovered several fraudulent insurance claims during the annual review.

collocation: fraudulent + insurance claims

Common collocations
  • fraudulent business practice
  • fraudulent scheme
  • fraudulent operation
  • fraudulent claim
  • fraudulent activity
  • fraudulent transaction
  • fraudulent transfer
Synonyms
  • dishonest

    less formal and broader; does not necessarily imply illegality

  • corrupt

    specifically implies abuse of power or position for personal gain

  • illegal

    broader; covers any law-breaking, not only deception-based offences

Antonyms
  • honest

    direct opposite in moral character

  • lawful

    direct opposite in legal status

Usage Note

Commonly used in legal, financial, and investigative contexts to describe the nature of actions, schemes, or practices. The focus is on behaviour that is both dishonest AND illegal, not merely misleading.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'He made a fraudulent mistake on the application form.' ✅ 'He made a fraudulent statement on the application form.' — 'fraudulent' describes intentional deception, not an honest error.

2. describing objects, documents, or communications that are made or presented in a

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing objects, documents, or communications that are made or presented in a false way to trick people into believing they are genuine

Example

Yael saw the signature on the contract was fraudulent and did not sign it.

collocation: fraudulent signature

The bank refused to accept the fraudulent cheque because the account number did not match.

collocation: fraudulent cheque

Common collocations
  • fraudulent signature
  • fraudulent document
  • fraudulent passport
  • fraudulent email
  • fraudulent cheque
  • fraudulent certificate
  • fraudulent contract
Synonyms
  • fake

    informal; broader and used for any imitation, not just documents

  • counterfeit

    specific to money, goods, or official documents made to imitate the real thing

  • forged

    specific to signatures, banknotes, or official papers that have been falsely copied or altered

Antonyms
  • genuine

    the real thing, not an imitation

  • authentic

    confirmed to be original or official

Usage Note

Typically used before nouns referring to documents, items, or communications. The focus is on the item’s deceptive purpose — tricking someone into thinking it is real — rather than on whether the act itself is illegal.

Common Mistakes

❖ 'She gave him a fraudulent smile.' ✅ 'She signed a fraudulent document.' — 'fraudulent' is not used for emotions or facial expressions; it applies to documents, objects, or communications created to deceive.

Word family

  • fraud
    nounB2
  • defraud
    verbC1
  • fraudster
    nounC1
  • fraudulence
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe wrongdoing, but they carry different legal and moral weight. 'Dishonest' is the broadest — it applies to any lie or deception, whether or not it breaks the law (a dishonest friend, a dishonest answer). 'Illegal' is purely about legality: something can be illegal without being deceptive (speeding, littering). 'Corrupt' narrows the focus to people in positions of trust who abuse their power for personal gain (a corrupt judge, a corrupt official). 'Deceptive' highlights the act of misleading — making someone believe something false — without necessarily implying a crime (deceptive advertising, a deceptive appearance). 'Fraudulent' sits at the intersection of all three: it is dishonest, deceptive, AND illegal. A company director who hides losses from shareholders is committing a fraudulent act; a student who copies homework is dishonest but not fraudulent.

dishonest ↗corrupt ↗illegal ↗deceptive

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • deliberately fraudulent
  • clearly fraudulent
  • allegedly fraudulent
  • potentially fraudulent

Prepositions

  • fraudulent in nature

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Fraudulent entered English in the 1400s from Old French 'fraudulent', which came from Latin 'fraudulentus' meaning deceitful or cheating. The Latin root 'fraus' (fraud) originally referred to injury or harm caused by deception. Over centuries the word has retained both its moral dimension (deceit) and its legal force (unlawfulness), which is why today it sits at the intersection of simple dishonesty and criminal activity.