fraud
FRAWD
/frɔːd/
Deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
Fraud is a broad umbrella term covering any intentional trickery used to deprive another of their rights or property.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'fraudem', meaning deceit or injury. In ancient Roman law, it was closely tied to the idea of harming someone through a breach of faith.
Word relationships
- deceit: Deceit is the act of lying, while fraud is the legal crime of using that lie for gain.
- honesty: The quality of being fair and truthful.
Commonly confused with
- hoax: A hoax is a trick played for humor or to prove a point, while fraud is strictly for gain.
Word family
- fraudulent (adjective): Obtained by or involving deception.
- fraudulently (adverb): In a way that involves deception.
Collocations
- wire fraud
- securities fraud
- commit fraud
Idioms & expressions
- pious fraud
Example sentences
- "Fraud is the daughter of greed." A famous literary quote about the nature of deceit. (Jonathan Gash, 'The Lies of Fair Ladies')
- "The Enron scandal remains one of the most complex cases of corporate fraud in American history." A news report on a major financial scandal.
Memory hook
Fraud sounds like 'flawed'—a plan that is morally flawed because it relies on lies. A flawed plan built on lies.
When not to use
Avoid using for simple lies that do not result in a specific gain or loss of property.
Fun facts
- In the Middle Ages, 'fraud' was sometimes used to describe a person who was a 'fake' or an impostor.
Related words
Explore more words
deceitful, subterfuge, perjury, collusion, counterfeit, graft
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.