forgery

noun

forg·​ery ˈfȯr-jə-rē 

ˈfȯrj-rē

plural forgeries

1

archaic : invention

2

: something forged

3

: an act of forging

especially : the crime of falsely and fraudulently making or altering a document (such as a check)

Synonyms

• counterfeit
• fake
• hoax
• humbug
• phony
• phoney
• sham

Examples of forgery in a Sentence

that is a cheap forgery, not an authentic Ming Dynasty vase

Recent Examples on the Web

Related article The husband-and-wife forgers who fooled the art market — and made millions The team was focused not only on thefts, from homes, galleries or archeological sites, but also forgery and trafficking rings. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terrorism charges in New York, as well as forgery and weapons charges in Pennsylvania. —Elijah Westbrook, Ali Bauman, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025

Who is Cody Balmer? Balmer has a previous history of charges for assault, forgery and traffic violations in Pennsylvania, according to records reviewed by USA TODAY. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025

The trial — part of a broader upheaval over the prevalence of forgeries in the worlds of art and antiques — is slated to continue into next month. —Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

forge entry 2 + -ery

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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