: not genuine : counterfeit, sham
a bogus claim
The evidence was completely bogus.
bogusly
adverb
bogusness
noun
Did you know?
Bogus Has a Long History
In the early 19th century, a "bogus" was a machine used to make counterfeit coins. No one knows for sure how this coin-copying contraption got its name, but before long bogus became a name for funny money or for a fraudulent imitation of any kind. The more common "phony" adjective followed.
Examples of bogus in a Sentence
It was just a bogus claim.
The evidence was completely bogus.
Recent Examples on the Web
Others are encouraging non-government employees to spam the OPM email with bogus lists.
—
Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 23 Feb. 2025
The days of good old-fashioned phishing attacks using email messages laden with spelling and grammatical errors, informing you of a bogus lottery win or an unexpected inheritance, are long over.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
And so that is an incentive to not admit your ignorance and to build up all sorts of defenses and appeal to bogus authorities in order to remain convinced of your own rational capacities and your independence.
—Sean Illing, Vox, 22 Feb. 2025
That claim has been dismissed by Western leaders as a bogus justification for launching its war.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bogus
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Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 23 Feb. 2025
The days of good old-fashioned phishing attacks using email messages laden with spelling and grammatical errors, informing you of a bogus lottery win or an unexpected inheritance, are long over.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
And so that is an incentive to not admit your ignorance and to build up all sorts of defenses and appeal to bogus authorities in order to remain convinced of your own rational capacities and your independence.
—Sean Illing, Vox, 22 Feb. 2025
That claim has been dismissed by Western leaders as a bogus justification for launching its war.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bogus
Cite this Entry
“Bogus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bogus. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bogus
adjective
bo·gus
ˈbō-gəs 
: not genuine : counterfeit, sham
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