counterfeit

/ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfit/

Middle English countrefet, from Anglo-French cuntrefeit, from past participle of cuntrefere, contrefaire to imitate, from cuntre- + faire to make, from Latin facere

adjective

  1. made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive : forged

  2. insincere, feigned

  3. imitation

counterfeit money

verb

  1. to imitate or feign especially with intent to deceive; also : to make a fraudulent replica of

  2. to try to deceive by pretense or dissembling

  3. to engage in counterfeiting something of value

assume affect pretend simulate feign counterfeit sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance. assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive. affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling.

noun

  1. something counterfeit : forgery

  2. something likely to be mistaken for something of higher value

The $20 bill turned out to be a counterfeit.

imposture fraud sham fake humbug counterfeit mean a thing made to seem other than it is. imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine. fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.