Fraud (frôd), n. [F. fraude,
L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr.
dhūrv to injure, dhvṛ to cause to fall, and
E. dull.] 1. Deception deliberately
practiced with a view to gaining an unlawful or unfair advantage;
artifice by which the right or interest of another is injured;
injurious stratagem; deceit; trick.
If success a lover's toil attends,
Few ask, if fraud or force attained his ends.
Pope.
2. (Law) An intentional perversion of
truth for the purpose of obtaining some valuable thing or promise
from another.
3. A trap or snare. [Obs.]
To draw the proud King Ahab into
fraud.
Milton.
Constructive fraud (Law), an act,
statement, or omission which operates as a fraud, although perhaps
not intended to be such. Mozley & W. -- Pious
fraud (Ch. Hist.), a fraud contrived and
executed to benefit the church or accomplish some good end, upon the
theory that the end justified the means. -- Statute of
frauds (Law), an English statute (1676), the
principle of which is incorporated in the legislation of all the
States of this country, by which writing with specific solemnities
(varying in the several statutes) is required to give efficacy to
certain dispositions of property. Wharton.
Syn. -- Deception; deceit; guile; craft; wile; sham;
strife; circumvention; stratagem; trick; imposition; cheat. See
Deception.