Counterfeit Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

1 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

verb

counterfeits;

counterfeited;

counterfeiting

1 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

verb

counterfeits;

counterfeited;

counterfeiting

Britannica Dictionary definition of COUNTERFEIT

[+ object]

:

to make an exact copy of (something) in order to trick people

  • They were counterfeiting money in his garage.

  • He counterfeited [=forged] the documents.

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— counterfeiter

noun,

plural

counterfeiters

[count]

— counterfeiting

noun

[noncount]

  • He was sent to jail for counterfeiting.

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2 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

adjective

2 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

adjective

Britannica Dictionary definition of COUNTERFEIT

:

made to look like an exact copy of something in order to trick people

  • counterfeit money/bills/currency

  • The concert ticket is counterfeit.

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3 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

noun

plural

counterfeits

3 counterfeit

/ˈkaʊntɚˌfɪt/

noun

plural

counterfeits

Britannica Dictionary definition of COUNTERFEIT

[count]

:

something that is made to look like an exact copy of something else in order to trick people

  • The 100-dollar bill turned out to be a counterfeit. [=fake, phony]

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Counterfeit Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

FAQs

Counterfeit Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary? ›

Britannica Dictionary definition of COUNTERFEIT. [count] : something that is made to look like an exact copy of something else in order to trick people. The 100-dollar bill turned out to be a counterfeit. [=fake, phony]

What is the meaning of the word counterfeit? ›

made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged: counterfeit dollar bills. pretended; unreal: counterfeit grief.

How will you define counterfeiting? ›

A counterfeit is an item that uses someone else's trademark without their permission. By making or selling a counterfeit, criminals seek to profit unfairly from the trademark owner's reputation. Counterfeiting is a fraudulent imitation (a forgery) of a trusted brand and product, and it is a serious crime.

What does counterfeit mean today? ›

Counterfeit is a term that is used to describe a fraudulent imitation of authentic goods.

What is the legal definition of counterfeit? ›

A counterfeit is the fraudulent copy of money, documents, designer pieces, or other valuable items. The counterfeiter often provides these goods to others with an intent to defraud. If a person pays for goods or services with counterfeit money, they could be charged through federal and state laws.

What is the meaning of counterfeiting? ›

verb. counterfeited; counterfeiting; counterfeits. transitive verb. : to imitate or feign especially with intent to deceive. also : to make a fraudulent replica of.

What is counterfeit Oxford dictionary? ›

(formal) ​(of money and goods for sale) made to look exactly like something in order to trick people into thinking that they are getting the real thing synonym fake. counterfeit watches. Are you aware these notes are counterfeit?

What does the Bible say about counterfeit? ›

Genesis 3 says that the serpent was more crafty than any of the other wild animals and the first place that we see a counterfeit is in the fall. Since the beginning the enemy has been offering a replica of God, because that is all that he can offer. The counterfeit that the enemy offers leads to destruction and death.

What is the old meaning of counterfeit? ›

In Old French, the word contre, "counter or against", together with the word faire, "to make," joined together to mean "to make in imitation," which led to our counterfeit. Definitions of counterfeit. adjective. not genuine; imitating something superior.

What is an example of counterfeiting? ›

Counterfeit products range from high-end consumer luxury goods such as watches, perfumes or leather goods, to business-to-business products such as machines, chemicals or spare parts, to common consumer products such as toys, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and foodstuffs.

What is a counterfeit person? ›

an impostor; cheat. verb transitive, verb intransitive. 5. to make an imitation of (money, pictures, etc.), usually in order to deceive or defraud.

Is counterfeit same as fake? ›

Some common synonyms of counterfeit are fake, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

What are three types of counterfeiting? ›

The most common types of counterfeits are money, products, and documents. Each of these types of counterfeits has its own methods of creation and deception. In response, governments and businesses have developed many different methods for detecting and preventing counterfeiting.

Why is it called counterfeit? ›

To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value than the real product.

Is counterfeit good or bad? ›

The dangers of buying counterfeit products aren't always obvious. There are economic impacts, legal implications, and health and safety risks that are important for you to know before you buy. Particularly, when shopping online, beware of counterfeit goods. Fake goods can lead to real dangers.

What is an example of the word counterfeit? ›

The offence really is the making of the counterfeit coin. For some people it was almost a counterfeit religion. The 50p coin is no easier to counterfeit than any of our other coins. I do not wish to exaggerate the situation but there are a number of counterfeit pieces on the market at any one time.

Is counterfeit the same as fake? ›

Some common synonyms of counterfeit are fake, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

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