forgery

noun

forg·​ery ˈfȯr-jə-rē 

ˈfȯrj-rē

plural forgeries

1

: something forged

2

: an act of forging

especially : the crime of falsely and fraudulently making or altering a document (such as a check)

3

archaic : invention

Synonyms of forgery

• hoax
• counterfeit

Examples of forgery in a Sentence

that is a cheap forgery, not an authentic Ming Dynasty vase

Recent Examples on the Web

The suspect then met with a fourth man known to police from art theft and forgery cases in 2001 and 2003. — Sylvie Corbet, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

As detectives followed his trail, the suspect met with a fourth person known to authorities for art theft and forgery. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Morin pleaded no contest to two counts of fraudulent use of personal ID and one count of forgery. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026

Prince, 63, is now facing charges of theft between $20,000 and $100,000, official misconduct and 51 counts of forgery, court records show. — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

forge entry 2 + -ery

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

forgery

noun

forg·​ery ˈfōrj-(ə-)rē 

ˈfȯrj-

plural forgeries

1

: something (as a signature) that has been forged

2

: the crime of falsely making or changing a written paper or signing someone else's name

Legal Definition

forgery

noun

forg·​ery

plural forgeries

1

: the act of falsely making, altering, or imitating (as a document or signature) with intent to defraud

also : the crime of committing such an act

2

: something that is forged