Forgery
'fɔːrdʒəri
Definitions
2 meaningsThe crime of falsely making or copying a document, signature, or work of art with the intent to deceive.
'fɔːrdʒəri
The act of producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art in order to deceive
The police are investigating a case of art forgery.
💡 Simply: Forgery is like when someone tries to trick you by creating a fake version of something important, like a signature or a piece of art. Imagine someone makes a fake dollar bill to try and buy candy with – that's a forgery!
👶 For kids: Making a copy of something that is not real and pretending it is real, like a fake drawing or a fake dollar.
More Examples
The bank discovered the forgery of several checks.
He was convicted of forgery and sentenced to prison.
How It's Used
"The investigation revealed a complex case of forgery involving numerous fraudulent documents."
"Detecting a forgery can be challenging as skilled forgers can create incredibly accurate replicas."
A fraudulent imitation; a counterfeit or spurious copy.
'fɔːrdʒəri
A thing that has been falsely made or copied
The painting proved to be a forgery.
💡 Simply: A forgery is the fake item that someone made in an attempt to trick people. If someone makes a fake painting to try and sell it, that fake painting is the forgery.
👶 For kids: A fake version of something that someone tried to make to look real.
More Examples
Experts identified the signature as a forgery.
The museum removed the forgery from display.
How It's Used
"The museum discovered that the painting was a forgery."
"The forged document was detected by a bank employee."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Pass off as genuine
To present something fake or counterfeit as if it were real or authentic.
"The art dealer tried to pass off the forgery as a valuable original."
A work of forgery
Refers to an action, act or outcome of forging or creating a counterfeit item.
"The investigation uncovered a sophisticated work of forgery, involving elaborate techniques."
From Middle English *forgerie*, from Old French *forgerie* (“a forging, counterfeiting”), from *forger* (“to forge”).
The term has been used since the 14th century, initially to refer to the act of forging and later to the forged item itself. It gained significant legal connotations over time.
Memory tip
Imagine a chef (forge) making a fake cake (ery) – it's a forgery!
Word Origin
"to forge, counterfeit"