Word
forgery
US/ˈfɔɹdʒɝi/
UK/fˈɔːdʒəɹi/
Definitions
01the crime of faking something
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Law
n. the illegal act of making a copy of a document, signature, or painting to deceive people.
n. the crime of falsely making or altering a writing, signature, or work of art with the intent to defraud.
“He was arrested and charged with forgery after trying to use a fake passport.”
“The prosecution argued that the defendant had committed forgery by systematically altering the company's financial ledgers over several years.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the criminal activity in general.
Synonyms
02a fake object
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a document, painting, or piece of money that is not real but was made to look real.
n. a counterfeit or fraudulent imitation of a document, signature, or work of art.
“The museum realized the famous painting was actually a clever forgery.”
“Expert analysis revealed that the signature on the contract was a forgery, executed with a precision that initially fooled the bank's security team.”
Usage
Countable when referring to specific items.
Synonyms
03shaping metal
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Technical
n. the process of heating and shaping metal in a workshop.
n. the act or process of forging metal into a specific shape, typically using heat and a hammer.
“The factory specializes in the forgery of heavy steel parts for ships.”
“Modern industrial forgery requires precise temperature control to ensure the structural integrity of the high-stress components being manufactured.”
Usage
Usually uncountable in this industrial or craft sense.
Synonyms
04an invention or creation
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. something that is created or invented.
n. a creation or invention of the mind.
“The strange story was merely a forgery of his overactive imagination.”
“The poet described the dream as a delicate forgery of the sleeping mind, vanishing at the first touch of dawn.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rarely found in modern speech and is mostly encountered in older literature like Shakespeare.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“In 1433, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa became the first person to publicly speculate that the Donation was a forgery.” “And as a result of the investigation, Diehl was arrested and charged with 20 counts of felony common law forgery.” Etymology
Recorded since 1574; from forge + -ery, from Middle English forgen, via Anglo-Norman forger, from Old French forgier, from Latin fabricārī (“to frame, construct, fabricate”), itself from fabrica (“workshop; construction”), from faber (“workman, smith”). (fake): Compare typologically Russian кова́рный (kovárnyj), кова́рство (kovárstvo), ко́зни (kózni) (akin to кова́ть (kovátʹ), ку́зница (kúznica)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/forgery