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

• 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

But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London. —Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025

By early March 2018, the Ministry of Customs and Trade inspectors had enough evidence to show that Farm Bank was a fraudulent enterprise. —Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025

Baker claimed to have the cure for cancer, his treatments later deemed fraudulent. —Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025

There are two separate cases—one for fraudulent sports betting and the other for rigging poker games—and Jones is a defendant in both. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2025

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