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Webster 1913 Edition

Counterfeit

Coun′ter-feit

(koun′t?r-f?t)
,
Adj.
[F.
contrefait
, p. p. of
contrefaire
to counterfeit;
contre
(L.
contra
) +
faire
to make, fr. L.
facere
. See
Counter
,
adv.
, and
Fact
.]
1.
Representing by imitation or likeness; having a resemblance to something else; portrayed.
Look here upon this picture, and on this-
The
counterfeit
presentment of two brothers.
Shakespeare
2.
Fabricated in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud by passing the false copy for genuine or original;
as,
counterfeit
antiques;
counterfeit
coin
.
“No counterfeit gem.”
Robinson (More’s Utopia).
Syn. – Forged; fictitious; spurious; false.

Coun′ter-feit

,
Noun.
1.
That which resembles or is like another thing; a likeness; a portrait; a counterpart.
Thou drawest a
counterfeit

Best in all Athens.
Shakespeare
Even Nature's self envied the same,
And grudged to see the
counterfeit
should shame
The thing itself.
Spenser.
2.
That which is made in imitation of something, with a view to deceive by passing the false for the true;
as, the bank note was a
counterfeit
.
Never call a true piece of gold a
counterfeit
.
Shakespeare
Some of these
counterfeits
are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals.
Macaulay.
3.
One who pretends to be what he is not; one who personates another; an impostor; a cheat.
I fear thou art another
counterfeit
;
And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king.
Shakespeare

Coun′ter-feit

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Counterfeited
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Counterfeiting
.]
1.
To imitate, or put on a semblance of; to mimic;
as, to
counterfeit
the voice of another person
.
Full well they laughed with
counterfeited
glee
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he.
Goldsmith.
2.
To imitate with a view to deceiving, by passing the copy for that which is original or genuine; to forge;
as, to
counterfeit
the signature of another, coins, notes, etc.

Coun′ter-feit

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To carry on a deception; to dissemble; to feign; to pretend.
The knave
counterfeits
well; a good knave.
Shakespeare
2.
To make counterfeits.

Webster 1828 Edition

Counterfeit

COUNTERFEIT

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To forge; to copy or imitate, without authority or right, and with a view to deceive or defraud, by passing the copy or thing forged, for that which is original or genuine; as, to counterfeit coin, bank notes, a seal, a bond, a deed or other instrument in writing, the hand writing or signature of another, &c. To make a likeness or resemblance of any thing with a view to defraud.
2.
To imitate; to copy; to make or put on a resemblance; as, to counterfeit the voice of another person; to counterfeit piety.

COUNTERFEIT

,
Verb.
I.
To feign; to dissemble; to carry on a fiction or deception.

COUNTERFEIT

,
Adj.
1.
Forged; fictitious; false; fabricated without right; made in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud, by passing the false copy for genuine or original; as counterfeit coin; a counterfeit bond or deed; a counterfeit bill or exchange.
2.
Assuming the appearance of something; false; hypocritical; as a counterfeit friend.
3.
Having the resemblance of; false; not genuine; as counterfeit modesty.

COUNTERFEIT

,
Noun.
1.
A cheat; a deceitful person; one who pretends to be what he is not; one who personates another; an imposter.
2.
In law, one who obtains money or goods by counterfeit letters or false tokens.
3.That which is made in imitation of something, but without lawful authority, and with a view to defraud, by passing the false for the true. We say, the note is a counterfeit.

Definition 2024

counterfeit

counterfeit

English

Adjective

counterfeit ‎(not comparable)

  1. False, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.
    This counterfeit watch looks like the real thing, but it broke a week after I bought it.
  2. Inauthentic.
    counterfeit sympathy
  3. Assuming the appearance of something; deceitful; hypocritical.
    • Shakespeare
      an arrant counterfeit rascal

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:fake

Translations

Noun

counterfeit ‎(plural counterfeits)

  1. A non-genuine article; a fake.
    • c.1597 William Shakespeare, Henry IV part I, Act II, scene 4:
      Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit.
    • Macaulay
      Some of these counterfeits are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals.
  2. One who counterfeits; a counterfeiter.
  3. (obsolete) That which resembles another thing; a likeness; a portrait; a counterpart.
    • William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens
      Thou drawest a counterfeit / Best in all Athens.
    • 1590Edmund Spenser, Faerie Queene Book III, canto VIII:
      Even Nature's self envied the same, / And grudged to see the counterfeit should shame / The thing itself.
  4. (obsolete) An impostor; a cheat.
    • c.1597 William Shakespeare, Henry IV part I, Act V, scene 4
      I fear thou art another counterfeit; / And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king.

Translations

Verb

counterfeit ‎(third-person singular simple present counterfeits, present participle counterfeiting, simple past and past participle counterfeited)

  1. (transitive) To falsely produce what appears to be official or valid; to produce a forged copy of.
    to counterfeit the signature of another, coins, notes, etc.
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To produce a faithful copy of.
    • 2008, Michael Gaudio, Engraving the savage: the New World and techniques of civilization, page xii:
      The title page of White's original album includes a descriptive title page that identifies the contents as “the pictures of sondry things collected and counterfeited according to the truth,"
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To feign; to mimic.
    to counterfeit the voice of another person
    • Oliver Goldsmith, The Village Schoolmaster
      Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee / At all his jokes, for many a joke had he.
  4. (transitive, poker, usually "be counterfeited") Of a turn or river card, to invalidate a player's hand by making a better hand on the board.

Translations

Etymology

Anglo-Norman countrefait, from Old French contrefait.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaʊn.tɚˌfɪt/
  • Rhymes: -ɪt

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