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.

OTHER WORDS FROM counterfeit

Example sentences from the Web for counterfeiter

British Dictionary definitions for counterfeiter

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