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

Even when investigators have validated aspects of complaints, they’ve found no evidence of malfeasance.

From Salon

In the world of family inheritance, such financial malfeasance is not unheard of.

From MarketWatch

She has worked on investigations on a range of topics, including government accountability, environmental justice, corporate malfeasance, organized crime, workplace discrimination, worker safety and healthcare.

From The Wall Street Journal

A president can only fire Fed board members "for cause," traditionally understood to mean malfeasance or dereliction of duty.

From Barron's

Mike Bonin, a former city councilman, said he believed Price’s alleged malfeasance should be handled by the city’s Ethics Commission — not criminal prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• impropriety
• misbehavior
• misconduct