# forgery

/ˈfɔɹdʒɝi/ (US) · /fˈɔːdʒəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forgery
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the crime of faking something

noun · CEFR B2

the illegal act of making a copy of a document, signature, or painting to deceive people.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. a fake object

noun · CEFR B2

a document, painting, or piece of money that is not real but was made to look real.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. shaping metal

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the process of heating and shaping metal in a workshop.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. an invention or creation

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

something that is created or invented.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The expert discovered that the painting was a forgery.
- He was arrested for forgery after he tried to cash a check with a fake signature.
- Advanced forensic techniques, such as carbon dating and chemical analysis of pigments, are often required to distinguish a masterfully executed forgery from an authentic Renaissance masterpiece.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.