What does fakement mean?
"Fakement" is a noun denoting something fabricated: a lie, a made-up story, or a counterfeit object passed off as genuine. Formed from the verb "fake" with the noun-forming suffix "-ment," it flourished in nineteenth-century English and appears frequently in the fiction of Charles Dickens and his contemporaries, where characters unmask a forged document or a trumped-up tale as a "fakement." In such contexts it could refer equally to verbal deception and to physical counterfeits — a doctored check, a sham antique, an invented alibi. Although still perfectly intelligible to modern readers, the word is now archaic, having been almost entirely supplanted by "fake" itself as both adjective and noun. It survives mainly in historical novels and period drama, where its slightly clunky, old-fashioned sound usefully signals the era being evoked. For anyone reading Victorian literature closely, recognizing "fakement" is essential to following scenes of exposure and accusation.
nounA fabricated or counterfeit thing; a falsehood, lie, or sham.
- A fabricated story, statement, or document; a lie.
- A counterfeit object; a sham imitation.
"The witness dismissed the letter as a fakement concocted to ruin him."
"He saw through the fakement at once and demanded the original deed."
"The dealer's prized antique turned out to be a clever fakement."
The plural follows the regular English pattern; it appears occasionally in older texts when multiple deceptions are being discussed.
"The trial exposed a whole series of fakements, from forged receipts to invented witnesses."
"Fakement" sounds like slang someone coined yesterday, but it's been catching liars out since the days of Dickens.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fakement
"Fakement" derives from the verb "fake" (meaning to make, fabricate, or counterfeit) combined with the noun-forming suffix "-ment," found in words like "payment" and "statement." The origin of "fake" itself before the early nineteenth century is uncertain, though it may be related to earlier Germanic words for making or doing things clumsily. The derivative "fakement" became common in British colloquial speech of the 1800s, appearing prominently in Dickens's novels, and has since faded into obsolescence.
How fakement is actually used
"Fakement" is archaic and chiefly historical today; readers will encounter it mainly in older literature, notably in the works of Charles Dickens and other nineteenth-century writers. It carries no special connotation beyond the falseness of its referent, but its dated flavor can lend a deliberately old-fashioned or ironic tone in modern writing.
Easily confused with fakement
"Fake" is the common modern word for anything false or counterfeit, while "fakement" is an archaic, now largely obsolete noun form meaning a specific fabrication or falsehood.