defraud
C1-C2Formal
Definition
Meaning
To illegally obtain money or property from someone by deception.
To deprive someone of a right, opportunity, or possession through deceitful means; to cheat or swindle.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used in legal, financial, and journalistic contexts. Implies a deliberate, wrongful act with serious consequences, distinct from more casual terms like 'cheat' or 'trick'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally strong legal connotation in both British and American English.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American legal and news media due to higher volume of financial crime reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
defraud someone (of something)defraud someone (out of something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[no strong idioms, but common in phrases like] 'a scheme to defraud'”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reports of corporate fraud, embezzlement, and securities violations.
Academic
Found in legal, criminology, and business ethics literature.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation; used when discussing serious news stories about financial crime.
Technical
A specific legal charge, e.g., 'wire fraud', 'mail fraud'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The director was found guilty of conspiring to defraud the company's pension fund.
- They used forged documents to defraud their clients out of millions.
American English
- The contractor was charged with defrauding the federal government.
- He defrauded investors by falsifying the company's financial records.
adverb
British English
- [No common adverb form 'defraudably' or 'defraudingly' in use.]
American English
- [No common adverb form 'defraudably' or 'defraudingly' in use.]
adjective
British English
- [The adjective 'defrauded' is used, e.g.] The defrauded shareholders sought compensation.
- [No common standalone adjective 'defraud']
American English
- [The adjective 'defrauded' is used, e.g.] The court ordered restitution for the defrauded consumers.
- [No common standalone adjective 'defraud']
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He did not want to defraud his friend.
- The email was a scam designed to defraud people.
- It is a crime to defraud the tax office.
- The executives were accused of defrauding thousands of small investors.
- The scheme to defraud the elderly was uncovered by journalists.
- The sophisticated operation succeeded in defrauding several major banks of over £50 million before being detected.
- Legislation was introduced to close the loopholes used to defraud the social security system.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DEceive + FRAUD = DEFRAUD. To 'de-fraud' someone is to commit a fraud against them.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A TAKING (illegally taking what belongs to another).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation with 'обманывать' (to deceive) which is broader and less severe. The closer legal equivalent is 'совершать мошенничество'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it without a direct object (e.g., 'He was defrauded' is correct, but 'He defrauded' is incomplete). Confusing it with 'default'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'defraud' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Defraud' is formal and specifically implies illegal financial deception, often on a larger scale. 'Cheat' is more general and can be used in games, relationships, or tests, as well as money matters.
Primarily yes, but it can extend to depriving someone of any valuable right or property (e.g., defrauding someone of an inheritance). The core is wrongful deprivation through deceit.
The direct noun is 'defraudation', but it is very rare. The far more common related noun is 'fraud'. A person who commits fraud is a 'defrauder'.
Yes, it is very common, especially in news reports (e.g., 'The elderly couple were defrauded by a fake investment advisor').