COUNTERFEIT Definition & Meaning

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counterfeit

[ koun-ter-fit ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

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

noun

an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.
Synonyms: ,
Archaic. a copy.
Archaic. a close likeness; portrait.
Obsolete. impostor; pretender.

verb (used with object)

to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.
Synonyms: ,
to resemble.
to simulate.

verb (used without object)

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

counterfeit

/ ˈ�첹ʊ�Գ�ə��ɪ�� /

adjective

made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged
simulated; sham
counterfeit affection

noun

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

verb

tr to make a fraudulent imitation of
intr to make counterfeits
to feign; simulate
tr to imitate; copy

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Derived Forms

ˈ��ǳܲԳٱ��ڱ𾱳ٱ��, noun

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��ǳܲ�t��·�ڱ𾱳�e�� noun
��ǳܲ�t��·�ڱ𾱳�l�� adverb
��ǳܲ�t��·�ڱ𾱳�n�� noun
�Դǲ�·��ǳܲ�t��·�ڱ𾱳� adjective
�ܲ�·��ǳܲ�t��·�ڱ𾱳�e�� adjective

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51�Թ� 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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of counterfeit¹

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

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Synonym Study

See false.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That term covers a number of different counterfeit versions of anti-anxiety medications, which make users feel spaced out and relaxed.

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Cranstoun, a harm reduction charity in the Black Country, said counterfeit drugs were often "much more potent and stronger than the drugs they are masquerading as".

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Nigeria's drug authority introduced new regulations for medicines aimed at tackling the importation of counterfeit and sub-standard drugs.

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On the topic of counterfeit products Mr Ishihara is more direct, and says the company's legal teams have fought "rigorously" against clones and fakes since the beginning.

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Adding to quality concerns are counterfeit drugs, which have seeped into both generic and brand-name drugs markets across the world and are notoriously difficult to detect.

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