French word

contrefait

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃tʁəfɛ/

Meaning

  • adjectivefake

Example

Cette montre est contrefaite.

This watch is fake.

Illustration for contrefait (fake)

More examples

J'ai acheté un produit contrefait sur le marché.

I bought a counterfeit product at the market.

Core concept

A copied product or document dressed in the appearance of an authentic one.

Common phrases

  • produit contrefait

    counterfeit product

  • article contrefait

    counterfeit article

Similar words

faux: Made to resemble the real thing but not actually genuine.
falsifié: Illegally altered so that a document or currency is no longer genuine.

Definition in French

Désigne un produit ou un document produit pour imiter frauduleusement un original et tromper sur son authenticité.

Word origin

French contrefait comes from contrefaire, formed with contre- meaning against and faire meaning to make, and first describes something made as an imitation.

Usage tips

  • The final consonant is pronounced in contrefaite, unlike in masculine contrefait, so the forms sound differently.

Other meanings

  • counterfeitnoun
  • imitationnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • contrefairecounterfeitverb
  • contrefaçoncounterfeitingnoun
  • contrefacteurcounterfeiternoun

Word lists with this word