fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent ˈfrȯ-jə-lənt 

: characterized by, based on, or done by fraud : deceitful

fraudulent use of a credit card

fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation

—Wall Street Journal

fraudulently adverb

fraudulentness noun

Synonyms of fraudulent

• dishonest
• false
• deceptive

Examples of fraudulent in a Sentence

Corrupt leaders were chosen in a fraudulent election.

fraudulent use of a credit card

the victim of a fraudulent scheme

Recent Examples on the Web

Kim Bimestefer has come under fire for hundreds of millions of dollars of fraudulent or improper payments to providers. —Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

Luminate has a series of extensive checks and balances in place to detect any fraudulent data from providers to ensure the objectivity of the chart. —Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 30 Mar. 2026

The goal is to help taxpayers recognize warning signs and avoid fraudulent tax advice or scams. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026

The first major nationwide protests against the Islamic regime began in June 2009, with demonstrators angered by the fraudulent presidential election. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent ˈfrȯ-jə-lənt 

: based on or done by fraud

fraudulently adverb

fraudulentness noun

Legal Definition

fraudulent

adjective

fraud·​u·​lent

: characterized by, based on, or done by fraud compare deceptive, false, misleading

fraudulently adverb