counterfeit
Definitions
Made to look genuine in order to deceive; fake.
伪造的；假冒的。
A fraudulent imitation of something.
伪造品；赝品。
To imitate fraudulently; to forge.
伪造；仿冒。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcounter- (in opposition / in imitation) + feit (from factum, 'made,' via Old French) = 'made in imitation.' The fac root is heavily disguised here: factum became -feit through French. A counterfeit is something 'made against' the real thing — a fake produced to pass as genuine.
Root fac still carries 273 more wordsWhy It Means This
Counterfeit hides the fac root behind French spelling: Latin factum ('made') passed through Old French as -fait/-feit. So counterfeit is literally 'made counter to' the original — made in imitation. Recognizing that -feit = 'made' links it to fact, feat, and feature, all from the same factum.
Common Collocations
- 1.counterfeit money伪钞
- 2.counterfeit goods假货
- 3.counterfeit products仿冒产品
- 4.counterfeit currency伪造货币
Example Sentences
- 1.
Police seized thousands of counterfeit banknotes.
- 2.
The watch turned out to be a cheap counterfeit.
- 3.
It is illegal to counterfeit currency.