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

• crooked
• deceitful
• defrauding
• dishonest
• double-dealing
• false

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

The Act provides market players and investors additional mechanisms and avenues to seek redress and curb fraudulent digital asset activities. —Abubakar Nur Khalil, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

The artificial intelligence PayPal uses to flag potentially fraudulent purchases can’t read your mind — at least, not yet. —Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025

The lawsuit previously featured additional claims for civil conspiracy and fraudulent conveyance, but those were dismissed in earlier actions. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Back in the mid-1990s, when The Net was among the top box office draws and Americans were just starting to flock online in droves, kids had to swipe their parents' credit cards or find a fraudulent number online to access adult content on the web. —ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 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