What does defraud mean?
"Defraud" is a formal verb meaning to cheat someone out of money, property, or other entitlements through deliberate deception. It is most at home in legal and journalistic writing, where it typically appears in phrases like "defraud investors," "defraud the government," or "defraud someone of their savings." The verb takes two objects: the person deceived and, usually via "of", the thing taken. Its connotations are strongly negative and serious — defrauding is not mere sharp practice but criminal dishonesty, often prosecuted as fraud. The word derives from Latin "defraudare", built on "fraus", meaning deceit or injury; this root also underlies "fraud" and "fraudulent". A useful word precisely because it names a specific kind of wrongdoing — theft accomplished not by force but by trust abused — it carries a weight that lighter synonyms such as "trick" or "con" do not always convey, and it remains standard in both British and American English.
verbTo defraud someone is to illegally obtain money or property from them by deception or trickery; to cheat a person or organization out of something they are entitled to.
- To obtain money, goods, or rights from a person or organization by deceit or trickery (typically in legal contexts).
"The accountant was jailed for defrauding the firm of nearly two million dollars."
"He was convicted of conspiring to defraud elderly homeowners out of their savings."
"The scheme was designed to defraud insurance companies through inflated claims."
The word 'defraud' literally means to break faith with someone — its Latin root, fraus, is the same one that gives us 'fraud' and even 'fragile', as in that which can be broken.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of defraud
"Defraud" entered English in the early modern period, borrowed from Latin "defraudare", meaning to cheat or deprive, formed from "de-" (away from) plus "fraus", meaning deceit or harm. The same Latin root "fraus" gives English "fraud" and "fraudulent", making these close cognates rather than coincidences. The word has retained its formal, legal character since its adoption, consistently denoting cheating accomplished by deception.
Related word forms
How defraud is actually used
Formal register; used predominantly in legal, journalistic, and official contexts. Almost always followed by a direct object indicating the victim ('defraud someone') and often by 'of' + the thing taken ('defraud someone of something'). Strongly negative connotation.
Easily confused with defraud
"Defraud" means to cheat by deception, while "default" means failure to fulfil an obligation such as repaying a debt — similar spelling, entirely different meanings.