forgery

noun

forg·​ery ˈfȯr-jə-rē 

ˈfȯrj-rē

plural forgeries

1

archaic : invention

2

: something forged

3

: an act of forging

especially : the crime of falsely and fraudulently making or altering a document (such as a check)

Synonyms

• counterfeit
• fake
• hoax
• humbug
• phony
• phoney
• sham

Examples of forgery in a Sentence

that is a cheap forgery, not an authentic Ming Dynasty vase

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, Sentinel is great for analyzing visual manipulation and AI forgery, whereas DeepWare helps analyze video and audio communication. —Essence, 14 Feb. 2025

Luigi Mangione, 26, faces 11 counts in New York, including one of first-degree murder and two of second-degree murder, along with other weapon and forgery charges in Thompson’s killing, according to an indictment. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025

Bank robberies, forgery and fraud became prevalent. —Indranil Debnath, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The trio is each charged with 60 felony counts, including forgery and theft by deception, Steele said. —Mike Stunson, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

forge entry 2 + -ery

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

forgery

noun

forg·​ery ˈfōrj-(ə-)rē 

ˈfȯrj-

plural forgeries

1

: something (as a signature) that has been forged

2

: the crime of falsely making or changing a written paper or signing someone else's name

Legal Definition

forgery

noun

forg·​ery

plural forgeries

1

: the act of falsely making, altering, or imitating (as a document or signature) with intent to defraud

also : the crime of committing such an act

2

: something that is forged