To cheat someone on purpose in order to get money, property, or some other benefit that you are not entitled to.
From Old French *defrauder*, from Latin *defraudare* meaning 'to cheat, to rob by deceit'. The Latin word combines *de-* ('away, from') with *fraus* ('fraud, deceit'), literally suggesting 'to take away by trickery'.
Defraud isn’t just any kind of cheating—it’s specifically cheating that breaks laws and targets people’s money or property. That’s why banks, insurance companies, and governments use this word a lot: it signals a crime, not just bad behavior.
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