fraudulent
/ˈfrɔːdjʊl(ə)nt
/adjective
1Obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception: fraudulent share dealing...
- Police believed the documents were stolen over a period of time, or might have been obtained by fraudulent means.
- Twenty people have been charged with trying to obtain fraudulent licences to drive tanker trucks.
- The scam is only then spotted when the company whose cheque-book has been copied notices a fraudulent withdrawal.
1.1Unjustifiably claiming or being credited with particular accomplishments or qualities: fraudulent psychics...
- You have launched an attempt to crackdown on fraudulent claims, how much has this saved the industry?
- Misleading or just plain fraudulent health claims abound in cyberspace.
- It's time to put a stop to these unfair and fraudulent practices which are crippling British farmers.
Synonyms
dishonest, cheating, swindling, corrupt, criminal, illegal, unlawful, illicit, against the law;
deceitful, double-dealing, duplicitous, Janus-faced, dishonourable, unscrupulous, unfair, unjust, unethical, unprincipled
informal crooked, sharp, shady, tricky, shifty, dirty
British informal bent, dodgy
Australian/New Zealand informal shonky
Derivatives
fraudulence
/ noun ...- These are instances of deception we know about, and they have two important consequences apart from the fraudulence of any policies based on such deceit.
- Then there's the possibility that fraudulence at the polls that has gone undetected could make the difference.
- Not only have they dared to reveal some of the secrets behind their own tricks, but they've also made a name for themselves as debunkers, exploring the fraudulence of so-called supernatural phenomenon.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin fraudulentus, from fraus, fraud- 'deceit, injury'.