counterfeit

adjective

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coun·ter·feit | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit

Definition of counterfeit

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive : forged counterfeit money a counterfeit diamond

2a : insincere, feigned counterfeit sympathy counterfeit joy at her friend's engagement

b : imitation counterfeit Georgian houses

counterfeit

verb

counterfeited; counterfeiting; counterfeits

Definition of counterfeit (Entry 2 of 3)

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

counterfeit

noun

Definition of counterfeit (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from counterfeit Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About counterfeit

Synonyms & Antonyms for counterfeit

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Adjective

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 Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. — CBS News, 28 Apr. 2022 Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. — Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2022 Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. — NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022 Floyd's fatal police encounter started with a 911 call about a counterfeit $20 bill used to buy a pack of cigarettes. — Ray Sanchez And Mark Morales, CNN, 26 Mar. 2022 On Friday, the Eagle, AU’s student newspaper, reported that the university had unknowingly distributed counterfeit masks during the first week of classes. — Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2022 There have been issues with counterfeit masks being distributed to consumers and even hospitals, as SELF has reported. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 19 Jan. 2022 The agency also has resources for identifying counterfeit N95 masks, the signs of which include a total absence of markings on the mask or NIOSH spelled incorrectly. — Kristen Rogers, Parija Kavilanz And Amanda Sealy, CNN, 15 Jan. 2022 Additionally, counterfeit masks may have decorative fabric and add-ons like sequins. — Kayla Hui, Health.com, 14 Jan. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Consumers report rip-offs ranging from sales of nonexistent vehicles, pets and products to counterfeit goods to costly free trial offers. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 8 Dec. 2021 For decades tickets to concerts and events were printed on special thermal paper that were difficult to counterfeit but easy for ticketing companies with specialized printers to print and distribute en masse. — Dave Brooks, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2021 This approach is not foolproof to counterfeit the deepfake voices, because if a deepfake offers a convincing speaker similar information, the AVR may fail. — Dominic David, Forbes, 10 May 2021 All over the world, AI scientists and engineers have been working to counterfeit deepfake voice attacks and related threats. — Dominic David, Forbes, 10 May 2021 Unfortunately, though, the existing federal plans in the United States call for providing those vaccinated merely with a paper document, a decidedly 20th-century approach that would not meet public health needs and that would be easy to counterfeit. — Richard H. Thaler, Star Tribune, 12 Dec. 2020 There’s no proof that a foreign adversary is trying to counterfeit ballots. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2020 Previously, exported medical products only had to have the certifications in receiving countries, such as the European Union’s CE certification, which could be easily counterfeited in China. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2020 The report also called on tech companies to more aggressively screen their vendors and create restrictions on products that are more likely to be counterfeited. — Fortune, 4 Mar. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Beware of the many counterfeit N95s and KN95s on the market. — Aaron Steckelberg, Bonnie Berkowitz, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Jan. 2022 Dreams and drunkenness, the use of opium and alcohol are the semblance and counterfeit of this oracular genius, and hence their dangerous attraction for men. — Maggie Nelson, Harper's Magazine, 28 Sep. 2021 One search of the premises yielded a cardboard box containing 4,000 counterfeit Quaaludes. — Mike Sager, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2021 But don’t order a counterfeit, waste my officer’s time, break the law and misrepresent yourself. — Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2021 Amaka needed only a perfect counterfeit of a FAKA-style speech, one that people would believe. — Wired, 1 Sep. 2021 More than 14,000 queries to those hotlines have been investigated by 3M and law enforcement, leading to the seizure of more than 41 million counterfeit N95s globally. — Mike Hughlett, Star Tribune, 10 June 2021 Two unknown men made purchases using three counterfeit twenty dollar bills at 5:18 p.m. on June 4, at the Walgreens on 15 5 Grant Square. — Zareen Syed, chicagotribune.com, 11 June 2021 Upon hiring, employees are trained on how to determine if a bill is a counterfeit with the help of pens that turn a fake bill a different color. — Star Tribune, 31 Mar. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterfeit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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counterfeisance

counterfeit

counterfeitly

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Last Updated

3 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Counterfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterfeit. Accessed 16 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for counterfeit

counterfeit

adjective

coun·ter·feit | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit

Kids Definition of counterfeit

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : made in exact imitation of something genuine and meant to be taken as genuine counterfeit money

2 : not sincere counterfeit sympathy

counterfeit

verb

counterfeited; counterfeiting

Kids Definition of counterfeit (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive Modern money is difficult to counterfeit.

2 : pretend sense 2 She tried to counterfeit enthusiasm.

counterfeit

noun

Kids Definition of counterfeit (Entry 3 of 3)

: something made to imitate another thing with the desire to deceive The 100 dollar bill turned out to be a counterfeit.

counterfeit

adjective

coun·ter·feit | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit

Legal Definition of counterfeit

(Entry 1 of 3)

: made in imitation of a genuine article (as a document) without authorization and especially with intent to deceive or defraud

counterfeit

transitive verb

Legal Definition of counterfeit (Entry 2 of 3)

: to make an imitation of without authorization and especially with intent to deceive or defraud whoever falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any deed — U.S. Code

counterfeit

noun

Legal Definition of counterfeit (Entry 3 of 3)