Fraudulence
/ˈfrɔː.dʒə.ləns/noun
The quality or state of being deceitful or fraudulent.
Did you know?Fraudulence comes through Latin from a root tied to deceiving and cheating, and its family tree is packed with words for fraud, trickery, and false appearances.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhrēu-
“to bubble, boil, seethe; later extensions gave rise to ideas of deception and trickery in some descendant forms”
Latin
Latin
fraus
“deceit, fraud, injury, damage”
Latin
Latin
fraudulentus
“deceitful, full of fraud”
Middle English
English
fraudulent
“deceitful; characterized by fraud”
Late Middle English
English
fraudulence
“the quality of being fraudulent”
Modern English
English
fraudulence
“the quality or state of being fraudulent”
Explore more surprising origins