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

Some scammers impersonate legitimate charities and direct donations to fraudulent payment pages. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Mosley’s new 75-page lawsuit includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent concealment, breach of contract, and civil theft. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2026

But even if there is nothing important in an account, it can still be used by hackers for identity theft, spam or fraudulent activities. — Jenny Tang, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2026

Bolsonaro, who is under investigation in Brazil over allegations of corruption and money laundering, refused to concede and has called the elections fraudulent, without providing evidence. — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 31 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