counterfeit
adjective · noun · verb
Simple meaning
Not real, but made to look like something genuine.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kownterfitSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkaʊntɚfɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
False, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.
Inauthentic.
Assuming the appearance of something; deceitful; hypocritical.
noun
One who counterfeits; a counterfeiter.
A non-genuine article; a fake.
verb
transitive
To falsely produce what appears to be official or valid; to produce a forged copy of.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: False, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.
Used this way, counterfeit is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It criticises, but without shouting.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Critical but measured
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “counterfeit” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.