malfeasance
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of malfeasance
First recorded in 1660–70; earlier malefeasance. See male-, feasance
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How does malfeasance compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Whenever you see the prefix "mal-," you know it's not good. Malfeasance is bad behavior, especially from officials or people who should know better. If nothing else, the mal- in malfeasance will alert you to the fact that something bad is going on. If you know French, fease-, faise- will ring a bell, as it often means "to do." You can probably then infer that malfeasance means "to do bad." Today, it's usually a bad deed done by an official or an organization. You wouldn't accuse a dog who peed on the carpet of malfeasance, but you would accuse a mayor who took a bribe of malfeasance.
Vocabulary lists containing malfeasance
Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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This Week in Words: January 27 - February 2, 2018
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Flora and Ulysses
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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.
Some experts believe that courts could adapt legal doctrine to address malfeasance by A.I., much as they once found a way to convict companies, not just individuals, for crimes.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
United Nations rights experts on Wednesday urged Meta to protect political expression in Brazil's presidential election race, which has become mired in allegations of social media malfeasance.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The trust may specify that all the beneficiaries have to agree to any changes, or that a panel has to concur that certain conditions are met, or else a court may have to find malfeasance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Flashbacks reveal the malfeasance of Brent’s boss, Graham Wiffel, and a would-be whistleblower’s threat to go public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
“You’re a superhero. This malfeasance will be stopped!”
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
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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.
