[fraud] n [ME fraude, fr. MF, fr. L fraud-, fraus] (14c) 1 a: deceit, trickery; specif: intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right b: an act of deceiving or misrepresenting: trick
2. a: a person who is not what he or she pretends to be: impostor; also: one who defrauds: cheat b: one that is not what it seems or is represented to be syn see deception, imposture