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Origin and history of fraud

fraud(n.)

mid-14c., "criminal deception" (mid-13c. in Anglo-Latin); from Old French fraude "deception, fraud" (13c.), from Latin fraudem (nominative fraus) "a cheating, deceit," of persons "a cheater, deceiver," of uncertain origin. Connections have been proposed to Sanskrit dhruti- "deception; error."

Meaning "a fraudulent production, something intended to deceive" is from 1650s. The meaning "impostor, deceiver, pretender; humbug" is attested from 1850. Pious fraud (1560s) is properly "deception practiced for the sake of what is deemed a good purpose;" colloquially used as "person who talks piously but is not pious at heart."

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to fraud

defraud(v.)

late 14c., defrauden, "deprive of right, by deception or breech of trust or withholding," from Old French defrauder, from Latin defraudare "to defraud, cheat," from de- "thoroughly" (see de-) + fraudare "to cheat, swindle" (see fraud). Related: Defrauded; defrauding.

fraudster(n.)

"one who practices fraud," 1975, from fraud + -ster. Earlier words were fraud (1850); fraudsman (1610s); frauditor (1550s).

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frustration
"act of frustrating, disappointment, defeat," 1550s, from Latin frustrationem (nominative frustratio) "a deception, a disappointment," noun of action from past-participle stem of frustrari "to deceive, disappoint, make vain," from frustra (adv.) "in vain, in error," which is rela
humbug
1751, in Oxford and Cambridge student slang, "a trick, jest, hoax, imposition, deception," a word of unknown origin; it also appeared simultaneously as a transitive verb, "deceive by false pretext." A vogue word of the early 1750s; its origin was a subject of much whimsical specu
put-on
"ruse, deception," 1937, from earlier adjectival meaning "assumed, feigned" (1620s), a figurative extension of the verbal phrase on the notion of putting on costumes or disguises. To put on (v.), of clothes, garments, etc., is by early 15c.; see from put (v.) + on (adv.). Hence "
shirk
1630s, "to practice fraud or trickery, live by one's wits," also a noun (1630s) "a needy, disreputable parasite" [OED], of...
honest
c. 1300, "respectable, decent, of neat appearance," also "free from fraud," from Old French oneste, honeste "virtuous, honorable...
gaud
.); "a deception, fraud, artifice" (mid-14c.). As a verb, "to furnish with gauds," from late 14c....
pious
sense, sometimes denoting practice under pretense of religion or for good ends (1630s) and in this sense often coupled with fraud...
ringer
 "bell-ringer, one employed to ring church or processional bells," early 15c. (c. 1200 as a surname), agent noun from ring (v.1). An early 13c. text has belle ringestre "nun who rings the convent bell." In quoits (and by extension, horseshoes), "a throw cast so as to encircl
pretender
1590s, "one who intends;" 1620s as "one who puts forth a claim;" agent noun from pretend (v.). Specifically of a claimant to the English throne from 1690s, especially the Old and Young Pretenders, the son and grandson of James II who asserted claims to the throne against the Hano
teach
Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show, point out, declare, demonstrate," also "to give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade," from Proto-Germanic *taikijan "to show" (source also of Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Goth

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