The fraudulent act of creating a copy of a document, signature, a bank note or work of authorship that is intended to be passed off as genuine when it is not, e.g. forging the signature of the maker of a check without the maker’s knowledge, made payable to the forger. In criminal law. The falsely making or materially altering, with intent to defraud, any writing which, if genuine, might apparently be of legal efficacy or the foundation of a legal liability. 2 Bish. Crim. Law,