mal-

¹ American  

1. a combining form meaning “bad,” “wrongful,” “ill,” occurring originally in loanwords from French (malapert ); on this model, used in the formation of other words (malfunction; malcontent ).

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Mal. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Bible. Malachi.

2. Malayan.

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Mal. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Bible Malachi

2. Malay(an)

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MAL ² British  

abbreviation

1. Malaysia (international car registration)

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mal- ³ British  

combining form

1. bad or badly; wrong or wrongly; imperfect or defective

   maladjusted

   malfunction

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Etymology

Origin of mal-

Middle English < Old French, representing mal adv. (< Latin male badly, ill) and adj. (< Latin malus bad)

Example Sentences

Scott Mason had made enough of a stink about the erased tapes that they could no longer hide under the cover of computer mal- functions.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn

To hope = esper‑i; pref. mal- denotes opposite. 3In every case.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John

To raise = lev‑i; suf -iĝ makes it intransitive; pref. mal- denotes the opposite; ending -o makes it a noun. 2Where he was going.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John

Tired = lac‑a; mal- denotes opposite; -ig denotes causing to be. 10Opened.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John

The Earl already began to tremble at the probable consequences of his mal- adroitness.

From History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce, 1585e-86a by Motley, John Lothrop