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FAYK/feɪk/

Fake means not genuine: a fake certificate; fake news; fake goods. Counterfeit is the crime-word twin for money and brands. False is wider (a false statement). Genuine is already in the dictionary as an opposite. Do not call a practice exam a fake exam — that is a mock. Trading Standards stories often lead on fake goods.

Meaning

Not genuine; made to look real in order to deceive.

Examples

• “The website sold fake certificates for language exams.”
• “Officers seized fake branded coats at the market.”

Good to know

fake + noun; fake news / goods. Crime twin: counterfeit. Opposite: genuine. Practice test: a mock, not a fake exam.

Near in meaning

counterfeit

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