Adjacent Words

Counterfeit definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COUNTERFEIT, v.t.
1. To forge; to copy or imitate, without authority or right, and with a view to deceive or defraud, by passing the copy or thing forged, for that which is original or genuine; as, to counterfeit coin, bank notes, a seal, a bond, a deed or other instrument in writing, the hand writing or signature of another, etc. To make a likeness or resemblance of any thing with a view to defraud.
2. To imitate; to copy; to make or put on a resemblance; as, to counterfeit the voice of another person; to counterfeit piety.
COUNTERFEIT, v.i. To feign; to dissemble; to carry on a fiction or deception.
COUNTERFEIT, a.
1. Forged; fictitious; false; fabricated without right; made in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud, by passing the false copy for genuine or original; as counterfeit coin; a counterfeit bond or deed; a counterfeit bill or exchange.
2. Assuming the appearance of something; false; hypocritical; as a counterfeit friend.
3. Having the resemblance of; false; not genuine; as counterfeit modesty.
COUNTERFEIT, n.
1. A cheat; a deceitful person; one who pretends to be what he is not; one who personates another; an imposter.
2. In law, one who obtains money or goods by counterfeit letters or false tokens.
3.That which is made in imitation of something, but without lawful authority, and with a view to defraud, by passing the false for the true. We say, the note is a counterfeit.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not genuine; imitating something superior; "counterfeit emotion"; "counterfeit money"; "counterfeit works of art"; "a counterfeit prince" [syn: counterfeit, imitative] [ant: echt, genuine] n
1: a copy that is represented as the original [syn: counterfeit, forgery] v
1: make a copy of with the intent to deceive; "he faked the signature"; "they counterfeited dollar bills"; "She forged a Green Card" [syn: forge, fake, counterfeit]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English countrefet, from Anglo-French cuntrefeit, from past participle of cuntrefere, contrefaire to imitate, from cuntre- + faire to make, from Latin facere — more at do Date: 14th century 1. made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive ; forged <counterfeit money> 2. a. insincere, feigned <counterfeit sympathy> b. imitation <counterfeit Georgian houses> II. verb Date: 14th century transitive verb to imitate or feign especially with intent to deceive; also to make a fraudulent replica of <counterfeiting $20 bills> intransitive verb 1. to try to deceive by pretense or dissembling 2. to engage in counterfeiting something of value Synonyms: see assume • counterfeiter noun III. noun Date: 15th century 1. something counterfeit ; forgery 2. something likely to be mistaken for something of higher value <pity was a counterfeit of love — Harry Hervey> Synonyms: see imposture

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., n., & v. --adj. 1 (of a coin, writing, etc.) made in imitation; not genuine; forged. 2 (of a claimant etc.) pretended. --n. a forgery; an imitation. --v.tr. 1 a imitate fraudulently (a coin, handwriting, etc.); forge. b make an imitation of. 2 simulate (feelings etc.) (counterfeited interest). 3 resemble closely. Derivatives: counterfeiter n. Etymology: ME f. OF countrefet, -fait, past part. of contrefaire f. Rmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Counterfeit Coun"ter*feit (koun"t?r-f?t), a. [F. contrefait, p. p. of contrefaire to counterfeit; contre (L. contra) + faire to make, fr. L. facere. See Counter, adv., and Fact.] 1. Representing by imitation or likeness; having a resemblance to something else; portrayed. Look here upon this picture, and on this- The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. --Shak. 2. Fabricated in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud by passing the false copy for genuine or original; as, counterfeit antiques; counterfeit coin. ``No counterfeit gem.'' --Robinson (More's Utopia). 3. Assuming the appearance of something; false; spurious; deceitful; hypocritical; as, a counterfeit philanthropist. ``An arrant counterfeit rascal.'' --Shak. Syn: Forged; fictitious; spurious; false.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Counterfeit Coun"ter*feit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterfeited; p. pr. & vb. n. Counterfeiting.] 1. To imitate, or put on a semblance of; to mimic; as, to counterfeit the voice of another person. Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, for many a joke had he. --Goldsmith. 2. To imitate with a view to deceiving, by passing the copy for that which is original or genuine; to forge; as, to counterfeit the signature of another, coins, notes, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Counterfeit Coun"ter*feit, n. 1. That which resembles or is like another thing; a likeness; a portrait; a counterpart. Thou drawest a counterfeit Best in all Athens. --Shak. Even Nature's self envied the same, And grudged to see the counterfeit should shame The thing itself. --Spenser. 2. That which is made in imitation of something, with a view to deceive by passing the false for the true; as, the bank note was a counterfeit. Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit. --Shak. Some of these counterfeits are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals. --Macaulay. 3. One who pretends to be what he is not; one who personates another; an impostor; a cheat. I fear thou art another counterfeit; And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Counterfeit Coun"ter*feit, v. i. 1. To carry on a deception; to dissemble; to feign; to pretend. The knave counterfeits well; a good knave. --Shak. 2. To make counterfeits.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(counterfeits, counterfeiting, counterfeited) 1. Counterfeit money, goods, or documents are not genuine, but have been made to look exactly like genuine ones in order to deceive people. He admitted possessing and delivering counterfeit currency. = fake ADJ: usu ADJ n • Counterfeit is also a noun. Levi Strauss says counterfeits of the company's jeans are flooding Europe. = fake N-COUNT 2. If someone counterfeits something, they make a version of it that is not genuine but has been made to look genuine in order to deceive people. ...the coins Davies is alleged to have counterfeited. VERB: V n • counterfeiter (counterfeiters) ...a gang of counterfeiters. N-COUNT: usu pl

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

koun'-ter-fit (kibdelos, anatupoo, homoioo): "Counterfeit" occurs as the translation of kibdelos, "mixed with dross," "not genuine" (The Wisdom of Solomon 15:9, "to make counterfeit things," the Revised Version (British and American) "mouldeth counterfeits," "spurious things, imitations"); 2:16 the Revised Version (British and American) "base metal" (compare Septuagint Le 19:19; De 22:11, "mingled garment," and 2Co 13:5,6, adokimos, "reprobate" (silver)). "Counterfeit" in the older sense of a representation occurs in The Wisdom of Solomon 14:17 (anatupoo, "to make a likeness"), "counterfeit of his visage," the Revised Version (British and American) "imagining the likeness from afar," and Ecclesiasticus 38:27 (homoioo, "to make like"), "to counterfeit imagery," the Revised Version (British and American) "to preserve likeness in his portraiture."

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Forge, make a spurious copy of, imitate fraudulently, copy fraudulently. 2. Feign, simulate, sham, put on the appearance of. 3. Imitate, copy. II. a. 1. Forged, spurious, fraudulent, supposititious. 2. Feigned, false, simulated, sham, mock, spurious, hypocritical, put on, make-believe. 3. Imitated, copied, resembling. III. n. Forgery, fraudulent copy.

Moby Thesaurus

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