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

Podesta did not know the payments were fraudulent, according to Portanova. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Dec. 2025

Champion and Hamilton recruited clients for Futuristic Management and submitted fraudulent applications to Hennepin County's Small Business Relief grant program. —Wcco Staff, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

This is the part of the season when the real teams separate themselves from the phonies, and right now the Colts look fraudulent. —James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025

Several customers, a Miami-Dade judge and now the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services say Thompson’s a fraudulent, bait-and-switch extortionist. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Nov. 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