Pious fraud

Pious fraud
Fraud Fraud (fr[add]d), n. [F. fraude, L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr. dh[=u]rv to injure, dhv[.r] 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. [1913 Webster]

If success a lover's toil attends, Few ask, if fraud or force attained his ends. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

2. (Law) An intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of obtaining some valuable thing or promise from another. [1913 Webster]

3. A trap or snare. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

To draw the proud King Ahab into fraud. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

{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}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • pious fraud — noun 1. A deception practised with a good end in view 2. A religious humbug (informal) • • • Main Entry: ↑pious …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pious fraud — A pious fraud a term used to describe people who perform fraud in religion (for example, a pious fraud fakes miracles or psychic surgery) because of a sincere belief that the end justifies the means in religious matters.The Oxford English… …   Wikipedia

  • pious fraud — noun An act of innocent deceit, technically using the methods of a fraudster but for an honest, honorable purpose White lies are verbal cases of pious fraud …   Wiktionary

  • Fraud — (fr[add]d), n. [F. fraude, L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr. dh[=u]rv to injure, dhv[.r] 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fraud — criminal deception, early 14c., from O.Fr. fraude deception, fraud (13c.), from L. fraudem (nom. fraus) deceit, injury. The noun meaning impostor, humbug is attested from 1850. Pious fraud deception practiced for the sake of what is deemed a good …   Etymology dictionary

  • fraud — noun /frɔːd,frɔd,frɑd/ a) Any act of deception carried out for the purpose of unfair, undeserved and/or unlawful gain. b) The assumption of a false identity to such deceptive end Syn: deceit, trickery, ho …   Wiktionary

  • pious — adj. 1 devout; religious. 2 hypocritically virtuous; sanctimonious. 3 dutiful. Phrases and idioms: pious fraud a deception intended to benefit those deceived, esp. religiously. Derivatives: piously adv. piousness n. Etymology: L pius dutiful,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Constructive fraud — Fraud Fraud (fr[add]d), n. [F. fraude, L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr. dh[=u]rv to injure, dhv[.r] 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 Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Statute of frauds — Fraud Fraud (fr[add]d), n. [F. fraude, L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr. dh[=u]rv to injure, dhv[.r] 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 Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pia fraus — Pious fraud:–the name was given to the practices of the church in its defeat of the statutes of mortmain by circumvention …   Ballentine's law dictionary

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