counterfeit

1 of 3

adjective

coun·​ter·​feit ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit How to pronounce counterfeit (audio)
1
: made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive : forged
counterfeit money
a counterfeit diamond
2
a
: insincere, feigned
counterfeit sympathy
counterfeit joy at her friend's engagement
b
: imitation
counterfeit Georgian houses

counterfeit

2 of 3

verb

counterfeited; counterfeiting; counterfeits

transitive verb

: to imitate or feign especially with intent to deceive
also : to make a fraudulent replica of
counterfeiting $20 bills

intransitive verb

1
: to try to deceive by pretense or dissembling
2
: to engage in counterfeiting something of value
counterfeiter noun

counterfeit

3 of 3

noun

1
: something counterfeit : forgery
The $20 bill turned out to be a counterfeit.
2
: something likely to be mistaken for something of higher value
Pity was a counterfeit of love …Harry Hervey
Choose the Right Synonym for counterfeit

Verb

assume, affect, pretend, simulate, feign, counterfeit, sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance.

assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive.

assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients

affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling.

affected an interest in art

pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance.

pretended that nothing had happened

simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something.

cosmetics that simulate a suntan

feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate.

feigned sickness

counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words.

an actor counterfeiting drunkenness

sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible.

shammed a most unconvincing limp

Noun

imposture, fraud, sham, fake, humbug, counterfeit mean a thing made to seem other than it is.

imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

Examples of counterfeit in a Sentence

Adjective The concert ticket is counterfeit. counterfeit currency that had been passed all over town Verb They were counterfeiting money in his garage. an expert at counterfeiting money Noun the will as well as the other documents turned out to be counterfeits
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In 2016, Forbes reported that 80% of Italian EVOO on the market is fraudulent, and this past December, Europol and Spanish and Italian authorities seized over 260,000 liters of counterfeit EVOO, which was diluted with a lower-quality variant of olive oil unfit for consumption. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 During the examination, CBP officers learned that the passenger was in possession of a counterfeit State of Texas identification card. Landon Mion, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 Such a self-destruct system could also prevent counterfeit chips entering the market, Hunt-Schroeder said. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2024 Authorities also seized three blank, white plastic cards that can be programmed as counterfeit EBT cards. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Where to buy solar eclipse glasses Buying the proper solar eclipse glasses can be tricky because counterfeit glasses flooded marketplaces in the weeks before previous solar eclipses, according to the American Astronomical Society. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The French luxury house accused the shop of selling counterfeit goods and promotional items that were not intended for sale. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 There are Reddit threads explaining how to knit D.I.Y. versions, while knockoffs are sold by AliExpress, a Chinese e-commerce site known for selling counterfeit goods, as well as by street vendors in New York that some may associate more with cheap pashminas than with luxury-good duplicates. Misty White Sidell, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 Much of what passes for ads on X now seems to be low-quality branding and counterfeit luxury goods. Mathew Ingram, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
And Drone-Defenses Is The Ultimate T-62 Maximizing on business impact and addressing some of the industry’s biggest challenges, key areas of focus are theft and counterfeiting alongside traceability, transparency and sustainability. Stephanie Hirschmiller, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Of the other drugmakers whose products were counterfeited, one — Sun Pharmaceuticals — did not offer comment. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024 Behind this booming industry is a slew of copyright and ethics violations ranging from design piracy to counterfeit merchandise. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2023 There’s much research out there on those basic matching tasks, and attackers are also adept at framing others (for example, counterfeiting Shakespeare) and obfuscating their own identities (being Shakespeare but writing differently to throw detectives off the scent). Sarah Scoles, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023 The tussles point to a pattern—there were many instances before Parmigiano-Reggiano counterfeits and there may be many after, experts have warned. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2023 Not only is the brand flat-out counterfeited and sold in fake packaging, but someone who just wants the smell can also pay around 50 bucks for a nearly identical scent in a budget bottle. Jane Daly, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 July 2023 Federal prosecutors charged her in January with one count of stealing or counterfeiting keys and two counts of mail theft, charges that could have led to a prison sentence. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023 Tackling Chinese counterfeiting ‘epidemic’ Timmons said Congress needs to address the issue of Chinese companies making counterfeit versions of American products. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2023
Noun
Platforms need to continue to improve and prevent sales of counterfeit or stolen art as well as improve security measures to counter hacking or theft of assets. Nikita Sachdev, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Kassim allegedly swiped numerous counterfeit or stolen EBT cards through a terminal and entered corresponding PINs without victims' knowledge or permission, according to court documents. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Some are counterfeits made of methamphetamine, while others contain appetite suppressants, acetaminophen or caffeine. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024 By June, the Times team had bought and tested more than 50 pills from 29 pharmacies in eight cities, finding counterfeits for sale in stores from coast to coast, mostly in areas that attract travelers. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024 But the most elaborate counterfeit was a bottle of fake Vyvanse sold in Puerto Vallarta. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024 Other social media sites including Facebook and Instagram have also faced challenges battling a growing market for luxury counterfeits of labels like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 11 Jan. 2024 Some of the counterfeits are now more sophisticated, and lab testing found a wider array of substances in them than previously documented. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2023 More than a decade ago, Srinivasan founded his company to help businesses identify counterfeits. Ash-Har Quraishi, Amy Corral, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterfeit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English countrefet, from Anglo-French cuntrefeit, from past participle of cuntrefere, contrefaire to imitate, from cuntre- + faire to make, from Latin facere — more at do

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterfeit was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near counterfeit

Cite this Entry

“Counterfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterfeit. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

counterfeit

1 of 3 verb
coun·​ter·​feit ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌfit How to pronounce counterfeit (audio)
1
: to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
counterfeiting money
2
: pretend entry 1 sense 1, feign
counterfeit enthusiasm to mask boredom
counterfeiter noun

counterfeit

2 of 3 adjective
1
: made in exact imitation of something else with the intention of deceiving : forged
counterfeit money
2
: not sincere : sham

counterfeit

3 of 3 noun
: something counterfeit : forgery

Legal Definition

counterfeit

1 of 3 adjective
coun·​ter·​feit ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit How to pronounce counterfeit (audio)
: made in imitation of a genuine article (as a document) without authorization and especially with intent to deceive or defraud

counterfeit

2 of 3 transitive verb
: to make an imitation of without authorization and especially with intent to deceive or defraud
whoever falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any deedU.S. Code
counterfeiter noun

counterfeit

3 of 3 noun
: something counterfeit
all counterfeits of any coins or obligationsU.S. Code
compare forgery
Etymology

Adjective

Middle French contrefait, past participle of contrefaire to imitate, draw, paint, from contre- counter- + faire to make

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