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

At least one fraudulent check tied to Biffle's business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Fulcher allegedly logged the most fraudulent hours, at 1,861, amassing over $174,915 in fraudulent overtime pay, according to a release from Pirro’s office. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2026

At least one fraudulent check tied to Biffle’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

In GetReal Security’s Deepfake Readiness Benchmark Report, 41% of IT, cybersecurity, risk, and fraud leaders said their company had hired and onboarded a fraudulent candidate. — Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 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