malpractice

[mal-prak-tis]

noun

1. Law.,  failure of a professional person, as a physician or lawyer, to render proper services through reprehensible ignorance or negligence or through criminal intent, especially when injury or loss follows.

2. any improper, negligent practice; misconduct or misuse.

malpractice

/ ˌmælprækˈtɪʃənə, mælˈpræktɪs /

noun

1. immoral, illegal, or unethical professional conduct or neglect of professional duty

2. any instance of improper professional conduct

malpractice

1. Mistakes or negligent conduct by a professional person, especially a physician, that results in damage to others, such as misdiagnosis of a serious illness. Damaged parties often seek compensation by bringing malpractice suits against the offending physician or other professional.

Other Word Forms

• malpractitioner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of malpractice¹

First recorded in 1665–75; mal- + practice

Example Sentences

"Botox is safe when used properly - but the checks exist for a reason," said Cheryl Barton, lead nurse at the Aesthetika clinic near Sheffield, who often gives expert evidence in malpractice cases.

From BBC

Those numbers show that, on the subject of Israel and Gaza, the DNC’s officers are guilty of political malpractice — and actively complicit with what most Democrats in the nation see as genocide.

From Salon

Maybe this explains the creator’s choice to make the towering media malpractice that cemented Knox’s infamy a minor character as opposed to the acid geyser etching her supposed malice into our collective memory.

From Salon

They need pitching depth, and it would be organizational malpractice not to get some by trading their pending free agents, Jansen included.

From Los Angeles Times

Martin Luther King replaced a county hospital that closed after losing national accreditation in 2005 because of serious medical malpractice, landing it the nickname “Killer King.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• carelessness 
• dereliction 
• misbehavior 
• misdeed 
• mismanagement www.thesaurus.com
• negligence 
• transgression 
• violation