plural frauds
1
: the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person
He was found guilty of bank fraud.
credit card fraud
He was the victim of an elaborate fraud.
2
a
: a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people
He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.
b
: a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people
The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.
Cite this Entry
“Fraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/fraud. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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