defraud

/dɪfˈɹɔːd/dih-FRAWD

/dɪfˈɹɔd/dih-FRAWD

Meaningto deprive by fraud

Common meaning: to cheat

deaway, fromSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 158 · scan
frauddeceitLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 778 · scan

‘away, from’ + ‘deceit’ → defraud

Journey through time

de — Latin de- “away, from” (path traced)
fraud — Latin fraus, fraudis “deceit” (path traced)

Parts join in Latin as defraudare.

Latinde- + fraus‘away, from + deceit’source
Latindefraudare‘to deprive by fraud’source
Middle Englishdefraudensource
Englishmeaning shiftsto deprive by fraud → to cheatdefraud‘to cheat’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin defraudare, which Skeat analyses as de- ‘away, from’ + fraus ‘deceit’.

Roots

defraudare Latin “to deprive by fraud”
fraus, fraudis Latin “deceit”

Related words

fraud fraudulent

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