Origin of counterfeit

1250–1300; (adj.) Middle English countrefet false, forged < Anglo-French cuntrefet, Old French contrefait, past participle of conterfere to copy, imitate, equivalent to conter- counter- + fere to make, do ≪ Latin facere (see fact); (v.) Middle English countrefeten, verbal derivative of countrefet

SYNONYMS FOR counterfeit

1 spurious, bogus. See false.
2 sham, feigned, simulated, fraudulent; mock, fake, ersatz.
3 falsification, sham.
7 copy; falsify.
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OTHER WORDS FROM counterfeit

Words nearby counterfeit

countereconomy, counterespionage, counterexample, counterextension, counterfactual, counterfeit, counterfoil, counterforce, counterfort, counterglow, counterimmunoelectrophoresis

Words related to counterfeit

spurious, phony, fraudulent, fictitious, bogus, forged, false, copied, fabricate, brummagem, plant, affected, bent, put-on, assumed, queer, pseudo, pretended, wrong, feigned

Example sentences from the Web for counterfeit

British Dictionary definitions for counterfeit

counterfeit
/ (ˈkaʊntəfɪt) /

adjective

made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged
simulated; sham counterfeit affection

noun

an imitation designed to deceive or defraud
archaic an impostor; cheat

verb

Derived forms of counterfeit

counterfeiter, noun

Word Origin for counterfeit

C13: from Old French contrefait, from contrefaire to copy, from contre- counter- + faire to make, from Latin facere