Definition

1. Verb:
   • To illegally or dishonestly deprive someone of something, especially money or property, through deception or trickery. It involves using fraud to obtain something from another person.

Usage

• Verb: The word "defraud" is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (the person or entity being defrauded). It is often used in legal and formal contexts to describe serious financial crimes.
  • The company was found guilty of defrauding its investors.
  • He was accused of defrauding the elderly couple of their life savings.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• Legal Context: In law, "defraud" specifically implies an intent to deceive for unlawful gain. It is a key element in crimes like wire fraud, mail fraud, and securities fraud.
  • The indictment charged him with conspiracy to defraud the United States.
• "Defraud someone of something": This is the most common construction, specifying both the victim and what was taken.
  • They defrauded the charity of thousands of dollars in donations.

Variants and Related Words

• Defrauder (noun): A person who commits fraud.
  • The defrauder was sentenced to ten years in prison.
• Defraudation (noun): The act of defrauding (less common, often replaced by "fraud").
  • The court focused on the scale of the defraudation.

Synonyms

• Swindle: To cheat someone out of money or property.
• Cheat: To act dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage.
• Fleece: To deceive and take money from someone (informal).
• Bilk: To obtain money from someone fraudulently.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions

(Note: "Defraud" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The action is typically expressed directly.) - To defraud out of: A common prepositional phrase following the verb. - He was defrauded out of his entire inheritance.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms centered solely on the word "defraud." The concept is typically expressed through idioms using broader terms like "fraud" or "cheat.") - To pull a fast one: To successfully cheat or trick someone (informal, related concept). - I think that salesman pulled a fast one and defrauded us.

Verb

1. deprive of by deceit
   • He swindled me out of my inheritance
   • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
   • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change