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

If the auditor comes to believe that the taxpayer engaged in fraudulent behavior, the auditor must stop the audit and refer the matter to Criminal Investigation (CI). —Bruce Brumberg, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

This minimizes the risk of landing on a fraudulent page designed to mimic a legitimate website. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Swiss federal prosecutors alleged that the payment, made while Platini was president of UEFA, was fraudulent and without legal basis. —Jamie Lang, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025

The billionaire also said, without offering proof, that undocumented immigrants are collecting fraudulent benefits from both Social Security and Medicare. —Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Mar. 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