According to the Collins English Dictionary 10th Edition fraud can be defined as: "deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage".
[1] In the broadest sense, a
fraud is an intentional
deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is
fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a
crime, and also a
civil law violation. Defrauding people or entities of
money or valuables is a common purpose of fraud, but there have also been fraudulent "discoveries", e.g. in
science, to gain prestige rather than immediate monetary gain.