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

Brensley’s campaign is now taking legal action, hitting Galvin’s office with a lawsuit seeking additional time to replace the fraudulent signatures and considering a lawsuit against consultant Joe Bronske. —Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026

The six-digit PIN blocks fraudulent federal tax returns filed against their SSN, and a new PIN is issued each calendar year. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026

In the ensuing months, as Roberts' falsehoods emerged, the Des Moines School Board has sued JG Consulting the search firm that helped the school district find and vet Roberts, accusing it of negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract. —Kyle Werner, USA Today, 30 May 2026

The neighbor who broke the housing market More recent research suggests fraudulent loan recipients used their funds to support personal lifestyle spending. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 May 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