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Definition of defraud

defraud

/dɪˈfrɔːd/
de · fraud
Past Simple:defrauded
•
Past Participle:defrauded
•
Present Participle:defrauding
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defraud Lexical Profile

defraud Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To illegally obtain money, property, or a legal right from someone by using deception or fraud.

Example

"The former executive was convicted of conspiring to defraud investors out of millions of dollars."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for defraud
Antonyms
View all antonyms for defraud

• Rhymes for defraud

• Nearby Words

deformity
defragment
defragmenter
defraud
defrauder
defray
defreeze

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French defrauder, which comes from Latin defraudare, formed from the prefix de- ('away from') and fraus ('deceit, trickery, or injury').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Defraud. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/defraud
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