Counterfeit
mediumNegative toneKOWN-ter-fit
adjective
Definition
Made in imitation with intent to deceive; forged; fake
Memory hook
COUNTER-FEIT: made COUNTER to (against) the real thing — a fake imitation.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The counterfeit bills were nearly indistinguishable from real currency.”
“Authorities seized thousands of counterfeit goods at the border.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ bills were nearly indistinguishable from real currency.”
Show answer
counterfeit
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Counterfeit is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "forged" or "fraudulent" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "genuine".
Related GRE Words
bogus
Not genuine or true; fake
fraudulent
Obtained, done by, or involving deception; dishonest
spurious
Not genuine; false or fake
specious
Superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleading
erroneous
Wrong; incorrect; based on error
apocryphal
Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably untrue
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