fraudulent
FRAW-juh-lunt
/ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt/
Obtained, done by, or involving deception, trickery, or intentional dishonesty.
Characterizes actions, claims, credentials, or papers designed intentionally to secure unearned benefits or deceive authority.
The story behind the word. Directly from Latin 'fraudulentus' (full of deceit), derived from 'fraus' (cheating, delusion). It entered Middle English via Old French in the 14th century.
Word relationships
- deceitful: Deceitful describes interpersonal dishonesty, whereas fraudulent often carries legal or formal policy weight.
- spurious: Spurious means fake or lacking authenticity, but does not always imply deliberate intent to defraud.
- legitimate: Legitimate means lawful, genuine, and conforming to rules.
- authentic: Authentic means genuine and of undisputed origin.
Commonly confused with
- false: False simply means incorrect, whereas fraudulent implies active, intentional trickery for gain.
Word family
- fraud (noun): Intentional deception resulting in injury or gain.
- fraudulently (adverb): In a fraudulent manner.
Collocations
- fraudulent claims
- fraudulent activity
- fraudulent scheme
- fraudulent document
Idioms & expressions
- shady practice
- sailing under false colors
Example sentences
- "The candidate's application was rejected after inspectors identified fraudulent recommendation letters." Admissions Fraud
- "The grant money was revoked immediately when the research proposal was exposed as fraudulent." Research Integrity
Memory hook
A FRAUDULENT act is committed by a FRAUD who tricks YOU for LENT money or unearned grades. Full of deceitful intent
When not to use
Do not use for honest mistakes or erroneous calculations made in good faith.
Fun facts
- In academic admissions, using fraudulent test scores can lead to retroactively revoking degrees decades after graduation.
Explore more words
fraud, defraud, deceitful, deceptive, counterfeit, disingenuous
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