malfeasance

American  

[mal-fee-zuhns] / mælˈfi zəns /

noun

Law.

1. the performance of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law, especially by a public official or a person in a position of public trust.

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malfeasance British  

/ mælˈfiːzəns /

noun

1. law the doing of a wrongful or illegal act, esp by a public official Compare misfeasance nonfeasance

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Other Word Forms

• malfeasant adjective

Etymology

Origin of malfeasance

First recorded in 1660–70; earlier malefeasance. See male-, feasance

Compare meaning

How does malfeasance compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• malfeasance vs. misfeasance

Example Sentences

But the skepticism is notable for what it says about the difficulty in building trust in public institutions after so many decades of malfeasance and mismanagement.

From The Wall Street Journal

One reason is the creation of independent institutions such as an anticorruption prosecutor and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which investigates malfeasance involving top officials.

From The Wall Street Journal

He claimed her firing was “for cause,” a term whose precise legal meaning hasn’t been adjudicated but is widely interpreted to connote gross malfeasance or some such offense in office.

From The Wall Street Journal

The killing is complicated by accusations of malfeasance against the dead man.

From Salon

What is surprising is that the NYT and other mainstream outlets have engaged in similar malfeasance, continuing the same media double standard that helped return a felon to the presidency.

From Salon

Related Words

• impropriety
• misbehavior
• misconduct