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

Elletson obtained money from the company by submitting fraudulent invoices claiming that Advanced Purchasing Services LLC had performed work for it. —Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026

Colorado can’t recoup that money because providers followed its directions — meaning the payments, while excessive, weren’t fraudulent. —Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026

During his testimony, Fonfara said these fraudulent over-redemptions have burned a $14 million dollar hole in distributors’ pockets. —Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026

Prosecutors accused the owner, who is a licensed vocational nurse, of using the company to submit more than $9 million in fraudulent hospice claims to Medicare from July 2020 to April 2025. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Apr. 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