counterfeit

1 of 3

adjective

coun·​ter·​feit ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit 

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• bogus
• fake
• false
• forged
• inauthentic
• phony
• phoney
• queer
• sham
• snide
• spurious
• unauthentic

Verb

• fake
• forge
• phony

Noun

• fake
• forgery
• hoax
• humbug
• phony
• phoney
• sham

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

Parents, experts and lawmakers have urged tech giants to do more to prevent the sale of counterfeit or illicit drugs to young people through their platforms, after multiple teens have died of overdoses from pills bought online. —Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 May 2025

According to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills more than doubled between mid-2019 and late 2021, with states in the Western US being even more acutely impacted. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 17 May 2025

Verb

Kearney’s report estimates that counterfeits account for up to a quarter of luxury goods sales today. —Alexandra Pastore, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

What about the increasingly complex supply chain for electronics, involving international sourcing, multi-stage assembly, and potentially counterfeiting? —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2025

Noun

The ever-improving quality of counterfeits further threatens retail integrity and industry accountability. —Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025

Heidt noted that the logo placement on a counterfeit may look off or that the logo may have a bleed. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024

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

Rhymes for counterfeit

• candlelit
• hypocrite
• monazite
• resubmit
• retrofit
• acquit
• admit
• amrit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit

Kids Definition

counterfeit

1 of 3 verb

coun·​ter·​feit ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌfit 

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 

: 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 deed

—U.S. Code

counterfeiter noun

counterfeit

3 of 3 noun

: something counterfeit

all counterfeits of any coins or obligations

—U.S. Code

compare forgery

Etymology

Adjective

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