fraud

noun

\ ˈfrȯd

Essential Meaning of fraud

1 : the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person He was found guilty of bank fraud. credit card fraud He was the victim of an elaborate fraud.

2 : a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.

3 : a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.

Full Definition of fraud

1a : deceit, trickery specifically : intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right was accused of credit card fraud

b : an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : trick automobile insurance frauds

2a : a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : impostor He claimed to be a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud. also : one who defrauds : cheat

b : one that is not what it seems or is represented to be The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About fraud

Synonyms for fraud

Synonyms

bunco
(or bunko),
con,
fiddle
[chiefly British],
flimflam,
hustle,
scam,
shell game,
sting,
swindle

Choose the Right Synonym for fraud

deception, fraud, double-dealing, subterfuge, trickery mean the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives. deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource. magicians are masters of deception fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice. indicted for fraud double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude. a go-between suspected of double-dealing subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end. obtained the papers by subterfuge trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat. resorted to trickery to gain their ends

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 fraud in a Sentence

He was found guilty of bank fraud. He was the victim of an elaborate fraud. He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud. The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.

Recent Examples on the Web In 2018, Theranos shut down, and Ms. Holmes was indicted on charges of fraud. — New York Times, 31 Dec. 2021 Jurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes completed a fifth day of deliberation Tuesday without reaching a verdict. — Bonnie Kristian, The Week, 29 Dec. 2021 Burgess said the chief violated the town’s personnel policy, which bars acts of fraud, endangering the property of others and serving a conflicting interest. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2021 The eight men and four women on the jury have begun deliberations in the fraud trial of former Theranos chief Elizabeth Holmes. — Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2021 Jurkowski forfeited a job as a school librarian in Hamilton Township, N.J., after a jury convicted her of fraud in 2013. — Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2021 Her fraud trial has been underway for more than three months in a San Jose federal courtroom. — Sara Ashley O'brien, CNN, 19 Dec. 2021 During closing arguments in the 15-week fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, defense lawyers got one last chance to portray their client as a true believer in her unproven technology and had simply tried her best and failed. — NBC News, 18 Dec. 2021 Closing arguments concluded Friday in the Theranos founder’s criminal fraud trial in San Jose, California. — Joel Rosenblatt, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2021

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

Learn More About fraud

Dictionary Entries Near fraud

fraucht

fraud

fraudful

Statistics for fraud

Last Updated

2 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Fraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fraud. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for fraud

fraud

noun

\ ˈfrȯd

Kids Definition of fraud

1 : trickery, deceit They got the money by fraud.

2 : an act of deceiving : trick Investigators uncovered the fraud.

3 : a person who pretends to be what he or she is not You're not Santa Claus—you're a fraud.

fraud

noun

Legal Definition of fraud

1a : any act, expression, omission, or concealment calculated to deceive another to his or her disadvantage specifically : a misrepresentation or concealment with reference to some fact material to a transaction that is made with knowledge of its falsity or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity and with the intent to deceive another and that is reasonably relied on by the other who is injured thereby

b : the affirmative defense of having acted in response to a fraud

2 : the crime or tort of committing fraud convicted of securities fraud — see also misrepresentation

Note: A tort action based on fraud is also referred to as an action of deceit.

— actual fraud

: fraud committed with the actual intent to deceive and thereby injure another

— called also fraud in fact

— compare constructive fraud in this entry

— collateral fraud

: extrinsic fraud in this entry

— constructive fraud

: conduct that is considered fraud under the law despite the absence of an intent to deceive because it has the same consequences as an actual fraud would have and it is against public interests (as because of the violation of a public or private trust or confidence, the breach of a fiduciary duty, or the use of undue influence)

— called also legal fraud

— compare actual fraud in this entry

— equitable fraud

: constructive fraud in this entry —used especially in New Jersey

— extrinsic fraud

: fraud (as that involved in making a false offer of compromise) that induces one not to present a case in court or deprives one of the opportunity to be heard also : fraud that is not involved in the actual issues presented to a court and that prevents a full and fair hearing

— called also collateral fraud

— compare intrinsic fraud in this entry

— fraud in fact

: actual fraud in this entry

— fraud in law

: fraud that is presumed to have occurred in light of the circumstances irrespective of intent to deceive

— fraud in the factum

: fraud in which the deception causes the other party to misunderstand the nature of the transaction in which he or she is engaging especially with regard to the contents of an instrument (as a contract or promissory note)

— called also fraud in the execution

— compare fraud in the inducement in this entry

— fraud in the inducement

: fraud in which the deception leads the other party to engage in a transaction the nature of which he or she understands — compare fraud in the factum in this entry

— fraud on the court

: fraud involving conduct that undermines the integrity of the judicial process (as by improperly influencing a judge, jury, or other court personnel) also : extrinsic fraud in this entry

— identity fraud

: the unauthorized use of another's means of identification (as name or social security number) to commit fraud

— intrinsic fraud

: fraud (as by the use of false or forged documents, false claims, or perjured testimony) that deceives the trier of fact and results in a judgment in favor of the party perpetrating the fraud — compare extrinsic fraud in this entry

— legal fraud

1 : constructive fraud in this entry

2 : actual fraud in this entry —used especially in New Jersey

— mail fraud

: fraud committed by use of the postal service especially as described in title 18 section 1341 of the U.S. Code

— wire fraud

: fraud committed by using a means of electronic communication (as a telephone) — see also Wire Fraud Act