maleficence
Americannoun
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the doing of evil or harm.
the maleficence of thieves.
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the quality or state of being maleficent or harmful.
Etymology
Origin of maleficence
From the Latin word maleficentia, dating back to 1590–1600. See malefic, -ence
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.
For the moral physician, beneficence must always exceed maleficence.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2024
Speaking of corporate maleficence Warner Bros., how about releasing the series in the Blu-ray instead of the woefully antiquated DVD format?
From Washington Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
As an examination of pure maleficence, the movie is less than thorough.
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2022
They may not be able to get their product in front of their fans, but MLB’s overlords still have managed to hit for the cycle of institutional maleficence.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 6, 2022
How weak are their powers of doing injury! their maleficence how feeble!
From The Virginians by Thackeray, William Makepeace
Definitions 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.
