ENGLISH
REFERENCE

counterfeit

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkaʊntɝˌfɪt// UK //kˈaʊntəfˌɪt// coun·ter·feit Archaic

adj. not real, but made to look like something valuable. You use this word when something is a fake copy of a genuine item.

adj. not genuine; made in exact imitation of something valuable for the purpose of deception.


SIMPLE

The shop sold counterfeit designer bags.

CONTEXTUAL

Police seized a shipment of counterfeit electronics that lacked official safety certifications.

COMPLEX

The museum curator discovered that the painting was a clever counterfeit, created by an artist who studied the master's technique for decades.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Often used attributively before a noun (e.g. 'counterfeit money').

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