Fake
/feɪk/noun
Not genuine; counterfeit or deliberately deceptive.
Did you know?The modern English word fake is first recorded in criminal slang, where it meant to cheat, deceive, or swindle—so its whole history is basically a linguistic con job.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
fake
“To cheat, forge, or deceive; later also an adjective meaning counterfeit or not real.”
18th–19th Century
English slang
fake
“A trick, fraud, or act of deception used by thieves and con artists.”
Uncertain; possibly thieves' cant
English
fake
“A term of obscure origin, probably arising in underworld slang rather than from a clearly traceable older root.”
Modern English
English
fake
“Not genuine; made to look real while being false or imitated.”
Explore more surprising origins