fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent ˈfrȯ-jə-lənt 

: characterized by, based on, or done by fraud : deceitful

fraudulent use of a credit card

fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation

—Wall Street Journal

fraudulently adverb

fraudulentness noun

Synonyms of fraudulent

• dishonest
• false
• deceptive

Examples of fraudulent in a Sentence

Corrupt leaders were chosen in a fraudulent election.

fraudulent use of a credit card

the victim of a fraudulent scheme

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no evidence that fraudulent votes have changed any election outcomes. — NBC news, 28 June 2026

Prosecutors allege Eidleh, along with other members of the scheme, solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking approval to operate fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program sites. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026

The government did not allege that the taxpayer (Murrin) intended to evade tax, but still argued that the ordinary three-year assessment period did not apply because the returns—from 20 years prior—were fraudulent. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Representing Daniell, attorney Chris Timmons said the lawsuit centers on what his client alleges was a fraudulent transfer of the property's ownership. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent ˈfrȯ-jə-lənt 

: based on or done by fraud

fraudulently adverb

fraudulentness noun

Legal Definition

fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent

: characterized by, based on, or done by fraud compare deceptive, false, misleading

fraudulently adverb