counterfeit

[ koun-ter-fit ]

adjective

1. made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged:

   counterfeit dollar bills.

   Synonyms: bogus, spurious

2. pretended; unreal:

   counterfeit grief.

   Synonyms: ersatz, fake, mock, make-believe, pretend, feigned, sham

noun

1. an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.

   Synonyms: falsification, sham

2. Archaic. a copy.
3. Archaic. a close likeness; portrait.
4. Obsolete. impostor; pretender.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.

   Synonyms: falsify, copy

2. to resemble.
3. to simulate.

verb (used without object)

1. to make counterfeits, as of money.
2. to feign; dissemble.

counterfeit

/ ˈkaʊntəfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged
2. simulated; sham

   counterfeit affection

noun

1. an imitation designed to deceive or defraud
2. archaic.
   an impostor; cheat

verb

1. tr to make a fraudulent imitation of
2. intr to make counterfeits
3. to feign; simulate
4. tr to imitate; copy

Derived Forms

• ˈcounterfeiter, noun

Other Words From

• counter·feiter noun
• counter·feitly adverb
• counter·feitness noun
• non·counter·feit adjective
• un·counter·feited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of counterfeit¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English countrefet “false, forged,” from Anglo-French cuntrefet, Old French contrefait, contrefet, past participle of contrefaire, contrefere “to copy, imitate,” equivalent to conter- counter- + fere “to make, do,” ultimately from Latin facere ( fact ); (verb) Middle English countrefeten, verbal derivative of countrefet

Word History and Origins

Origin of counterfeit¹

C13: from Old French contrefait, from contrefaire to copy, from contre- counter- + faire to make, from Latin facere

Synonym Study

See false.

Example Sentences

Border Force is responsible for scanning international mail suspected of containing drugs, firearms, knives, and counterfeit items or goods with unpaid customs fees - but not every package is checked.

From BBC

Food counterfeiting also happens in the US – in some cases, cheap and even dangerous ingredients are being used to produce “fake” versions of expensive cheese, such as parmesan made using additives derived from wood pulp.

From BBC

As well as diversifying its characters, Sanrio boosted its overseas marketing and is now tackling counterfeits more rigorously.

From BBC

The cheque was eventually returned as counterfeit but the defendant still owed the bank more than $290,000, the filing added.

From BBC

This disinformation campaign "plagues social media with fake posts, counterfeit documents and deepfake material", says the Foreign Office.

From BBC