Fraud

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /fɹɔːd/

Definitions

1. The act of deliberately deceiving someone to gain money or advantages unfairly ; a person who tricks others to obtain benefits in an illegal or dishonest way
2. A wrongful act involving deceit or misrepresentation to unlawfully secure assets or advantages ; an individual who engages in cheating or dishonest behavior
3. The practice of intentionally misleading or lying to gain something valuable ; one who commits acts of dishonesty or deception against others

Etymology: Latin "fraus" meant deceit, but it also carried the sense of injury or harm, and that wider meaning is part of why the English word feels so heavy. The Romans used it for cheating in a bargain as well as for harm done through trickery, so the idea of deception and damage was tied together from the start. The word reached English in the Middle Ages through Old French "fraude," which had itself been borrowed from Latin. English speakers were using it by the 14th century, and it came to cover both the act of deceiving someone for gain and the person who does so. The word has stayed close to that original pairing of trickery and injury, which is why it still implies that someone is harmed by the deception, not merely fooled.

Synonyms: deception, scam, hoax

Antonyms: honesty