forgery

noun forg·ery \ ˈfȯrj-rē , ˈfȯr-jə- \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Definition of forgery

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)

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Examples of forgery in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of forgery from the Web

West was jailed on theft and forgery charges, KATV reported.

— crystal hill, miamiherald, "Man paid a waitress for his meal. She saw her name on the credit card, Arkansas police say," 19 June 2018
Katina Powell has been released from jail after entering a not guilty plea to charges of theft and forgery.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Katina Powell pleads not guilty to charges and is released from jail," 18 May 2018
An alternative approach used by an official in the Milwaukee County district attorney's office is felony forgery, which also carries a six-year maximum prison term.

— taylor palmby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A rare felony charge could help curb Wisconsin's opioid epidemic and property theft," 2 July 2018
Forgery John Dansby, 19, of the 900 block of North York Street, Elmhurst, was charged with one felony count of forgery after presenting a counterfeit $100 bill at Dunkin’ Donuts, 936 N. York St. at 7:05 p.m. June 21.

— graydon megan, chicagotribune.com, "Police: Woman facing charges after police respond to child playing in the street, and finding her asleep inside," 29 June 2018
Makkai turns the question of authentification — are the drawings real or clever forgeries? — into a cliffhanger and raises provocative questions about value.

— michael cunningham, New York Times, "Surviving AIDS, but at What Cost?," 25 June 2018
But the coupons used at the Harvey Walgreens were forgeries that allowed the suspects to receive $15 off any item in the store, according to the incident report.

— michelle hunter, NOLA.com, "Walgreens employees bought more than $26,000 in gift cards with fake coupons: JPSO," 10 Apr. 2018
The forgery case was reported in April, and detectives were able to determine that Redzisz was responsible for taking two checks and drafting them without permission.

— alexandra kukulka, chicagotribune.com, "Police: Electronics stolen in Northbrook while homeowner was on vacation," 15 June 2018
The case of Rudolf Mosse’s missing bronze fountain may seem, in the hierarchy of high-profile art crime, to be a relatively minor mystery, lacking the sheen of intrigue that surrounds major heists or masterful forgeries.

— berthold steinhilber, Smithsonian, "The Lost Maidens of Berlin," 24 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of forgery

²forge + -ery

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1583

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

forgery Synonyms

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

FORGERY Defined for English Language Learners

forgery

noun

Definition of forgery for English Language Learners

: the crime of falsely making or copying a document in order to deceive people
: something that is falsely made or copied in order to deceive people : something that is forged