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

An Atlanta social media personality has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly stealing millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by using fraudulent accounts, prosecutors say. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

They are charged with crimes including making false statements on a naturalization application and submitting fraudulent voter registrations. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Dominguez also warned that fraudulent ship registrations and false flags have become major contributors to the danger. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Between April 2022 and February 2023, the individuals accessed the account and prepared and filed with the IRS fraudulent employer federal tax returns for MDR Group. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 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