1. the crime of making fake money, documents, or goods to deceive people
Usage: typically refers to illegal production of currency or official documents

1. present tense/gerund: to make or produce a fake or fraudulent copy of something, especially currency or documents, with intent to deceive
Usage: criminal activity
2. to imitate or copy something closely, often in a deceptive manner
Usage: broader sense; may be used metaphorically

Examples

• Counterfeiting U.S. currency is a serious federal crime.
• The gang was arrested for counterfeiting designer handbags and selling them online.
• He was convicted of counterfeiting passports for illegal immigrants.
• The artist accused the gallery of counterfeiting his signature on the paintings.
• Counterfeiting medications puts public health at risk.
• She was caught counterfeiting checks to pay her bills.
• The company discovered counterfeiters were counterfeiting their product labels.
• Counterfeiting ancient artifacts is a lucrative black market business.