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

Facial recognition also significantly reduces the possibility of forgery or fraud when compared with ID cards or passwords. —Vijayan Asari, The Conversation, 2 June 2026

The campaign says entire batches of signatures collected by Bronske were rejected after three towns contacted the Secretary of State’s Office with concerns of forgery. —Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026

Southlake police stopped an in-progress forgery at a bank after staff notified them about suspicious activity, officials said in a Facebook post. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026

Assault, forgery and 32 counts of theft after stealing over $150,000 were among David's convictions, the outlet noted. —Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 May 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