bogus
UK[ˈbəʊɡəs]US[ˈboʊɡəs]
adj
not genuine or true; fake
Etymology
the word 'bogus' first appeared in american english around 1827 as a term for a machine that produced counterfeit coins. its exact origins are obscure and intentionally mysterious, with proposed but unproven links to a criminal's alias or a slang term for forgery. the core logic of its journey is that it began as a piece of underworld jargon for something fake or fraudulent. from this specific criminal context, it evolved into a general adjective describing anything that is spurious, counterfeit, or not authentic.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. it is a loanword of unknown, likely fabricated, origin.
Examples
he used a bogus name to register at the hotel.
the investigation revealed the documents were completely bogus.
don't fall for that bogus offer; it's clearly a scam.