mal-
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 ).
mal-
1 American
Mal.
2
American
abbreviation
-
Bible. Malachi.
-
Malayan.
Mal.
1
British
abbreviation
-
Bible Malachi
-
Malay(an)
MAL
2
British
abbreviation
mal-
3
British
combining form
Etymology
Origin of mal-
Middle English < Old French, representing mal adv. (< Latin male badly, ill) and adj. (< Latin malus bad)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To detain Hardrada, a charge of mal- appropriation, whether of pay or of booty, was brought against him.
From Harold : the Last of the Saxon Kings — Volume 11 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton
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 Walter John Clark
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 Winn Schwartau
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 Walter John Clark
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 John Lothrop Motley
“No. Don’t do that. Get some wood. Try to light a fire, Mal. It’s really important.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
“We got to have a fire, Mal. We got to clean her, and we got to feed her.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
“I’ll go with Mal. I’ll go to this Senate.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
“She en’t normal, Mal. She en’t proper human. See them butterflies? Well, which one’s her dæmon?”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
“This is Ratwin. She’s our navigator. Ratwin, this is Christopher and Mal. They’re our uninvited stowaways.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
The analysis pointed unexpectedly to the MAL gene.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
When scientists introduced the normal MAL gene into laboratory cells, the cells became reactive with AnWj antibodies.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Genotyping tests can now be designed to identify rare patients and donors carrying the relevant MAL changes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
A 2025 trial conclusion could also "throw a potential wrench into efforts by Cannon to push off the MAL docs case," national security lawyer Bradley Moss tweeted, referring to Trump's Florida federal criminal case.
From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2023
But nothing compares to the spectacular new versions of the "Red" and the "Blue" albums made possible, in large part, to filmmaker Peter Jackson’s MAL technology.
From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2023
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
