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Comment by callalex | Hacker News Reader

What word would you use in your native language to mean

1) historical document/artifact that was created later by a liar

2) A written signature on a document trying to impersonate someone who didn’t actually read and approve of said document

3) An ID card a teenager uses to gain entrance to a bar/club

4) a verbal statement that the speaker knows is false when said, for example “of course that dress does not make you look fat” (does this word change if the receiver also knows the statement is false? In English I would call this a “white lie”)

5) A body part that has been altered with surgery (silicone implants, saline injections)

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1) Fake 2) Forged 3) Forged 4) Lie 5) Fake

As you can probably tell, from my understanding (possibly wrong connection) I think of the word 'to forge' in the context of actually trying to get access to somewhere or something with fake documents. When the intention or the consequence of using such document is more for monetary or material gain, I tend to think of it as fake.

I suppose dictionary definition does allow for both usage, i.e. to forge is to make a fake resemblance of something.. etc. I didn't think not knowing accurate definition of a word warranted downvotes but oh well.

> I didn't think not knowing accurate definition of a word warranted downvotes

I think the downvotes comes from then accusing the person writing it of clickbait. So while it's fine to not know the accurate definition of a word, it's not so fine to accuse the author of something because you don't know the accurate definition.

Sure, but to be honest with my explanation I actually have a point with the distinction between fake and forged. Here is an excerpt:

> A textbook definition of forgery is the making of a false document with the intent that it should be used or acted upon as if it's genuine.

Notice the "with the intent that it should be ACTED upon", and given no one would be using a historic fake ID to use it for access, I think I have a point. Anyway..

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