counterfeit
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.made to look like the real thing in order to trick people.
adj.made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud.
Simple“The shopkeeper realized the twenty-dollar bill was counterfeit because the paper felt wrong.”
In context“Customs officials seized a massive shipment of counterfeit designer watches that were destined for local markets.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an object that is a fake copy of something else.
n.a fraudulent imitation of something else; a forgery.
Simple“The painting looked real, but the expert quickly identified it as a counterfeit.”
In context“The gallery was devastated to learn that their most famous landscape was actually a sophisticated counterfeit created in the nineteenth century.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a fake copy of something, usually money or documents.
v.to imitate fraudulently; to produce a forged copy of currency, software, or official documents.
Simple“It is a serious crime to counterfeit money or government ID cards.”
In context“The criminal syndicate managed to counterfeit thousands of passports before the authorities finally tracked down their printing press.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to pretend to have a feeling or a quality.
v.to feign or simulate a particular feeling, quality, or physical state.
Simple“She tried to counterfeit a look of surprise, but he knew she already heard the news.”
In context“The spy had to counterfeit an air of nonchalance while the guards searched his luggage for the hidden microfilm.”
“There have also been concerns about counterfeit glasses, through which it could be dangerous to watch the eclipse.”
“She said she had been left "angry and shocked" when she had taken it to a Prada store, only to be told it was counterfeit.”
From Middle English counterfeit, countrefet, from Anglo-Norman countrefait, from Old French contrefait, from Latin contra- (“against”) + Latin facere (“to make”). Piecewise doublet of contrafactum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.