fraudulent
/ˈfrɔːdʒələnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfrɔːdʒələnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfrȯ-jə-lənt/ (ame, mw)
fraudulent — adjective
- fraudulentpositive
- more fraudulentcomparative
- most fraudulentsuperlative
1. describing actions or behaviour that involve cheating someone in a way that is a
describing actions or behaviour that involve cheating someone in a way that is against the law
Ari’s company was shut down after a fraudulent business practice was exposed by journalists.
collocation: fraudulent + business practice
The auditor discovered several fraudulent insurance claims during the annual review.
collocation: fraudulent + insurance claims
Élise lost her savings after investing in a fraudulent scheme that promised quick profits.
It is illegal to make fraudulent statements on your income tax return.
The charity turned out to be a fraudulent operation that kept most donations for itself.
用法筆記
Commonly used in legal, financial, and investigative contexts to describe the nature of actions, schemes, or practices. The focus is on behaviour that is both dishonest AND illegal, not merely misleading.
常見錯誤
❖ 'He made a fraudulent mistake on the application form.' ✅ 'He made a fraudulent statement on the application form.' — 'fraudulent' describes intentional deception, not an honest error.
2. describing objects, documents, or communications that are made or presented in a
describing objects, documents, or communications that are made or presented in a false way to trick people into believing they are genuine
Yael saw the signature on the contract was fraudulent and did not sign it.
collocation: fraudulent signature
The bank refused to accept the fraudulent cheque because the account number did not match.
collocation: fraudulent cheque
Rania received a fraudulent email that looked exactly like a message from her bank.
Police are investigating a fraudulent passport that was used to enter the country.
Megan’s fraudulent medical certificate was discovered when the clinic confirmed she had never visited.
- fake
informal; broader and used for any imitation, not just documents
- counterfeit
specific to money, goods, or official documents made to imitate the real thing
- forged
specific to signatures, banknotes, or official papers that have been falsely copied or altered
用法筆記
Typically used before nouns referring to documents, items, or communications. The focus is on the item’s deceptive purpose — tricking someone into thinking it is real — rather than on whether the act itself is illegal.
常見錯誤
❖ 'She gave him a fraudulent smile.' ✅ 'She signed a fraudulent document.' — 'fraudulent' is not used for emotions or facial expressions; it applies to documents, objects, or communications created to deceive.