malpractice

American  

[mal-prak-tis] / mælˈpræk tɪs /

noun

• malpractices
  plural

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.

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malpractice British  

/ mælˈpræktɪs /

noun

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

2. any instance of improper professional conduct

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malpractice Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• malpractitioner
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• malpractices
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of malpractice

First recorded in 1665–75; mal- + practice

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Explanation

If you needed your tonsils removed but your surgeon accidentally took out your appendix instead, you could sue her for malpractice, or mistreatment by a doctor that results in harm to the patient. There are many kinds of malpractice, but medical and legal — by a doctor or lawyer — are the most common. Any professional who injures a client or patient through negligence risks being accused of malpractice, and possibly taken to court. The prefix mal means "bad," from the Latin word malus, or "evil." Practice comes from the Modern Latin practicare, "to practice." If a doctor practices medicine badly enough that it hurts someone, that's malpractice.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

malpractice malpractices

Patients, their families and lawyers have complained that Kaiser’s private and confidential system of handling medical malpractice complaints is designed to favor the health plan over those bringing the claims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The hospital has denied Thurman’s malpractice allegations in a court filing.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

This is often referred to as the “case within a case” requirement for these kinds of malpractice suits.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

The more potent indictment centers on strategic malpractice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

“People just don’t sue doctors they like,” is how Alice Burkin, a leading medical malpractice lawyer, puts it.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

In October 2025, Seoul apologised for the first time for state-sanctioned malpractices, saying "unjust human rights violations" were committed.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

There was one rural hospital, the site of various malpractices.

From Salon ● May 3, 2022

An independent investigation later found that both sides had participated in electoral malpractices and said it was impossible to determine who had really won.

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2022

“We found exactly the same malpractices in exactly the same districts in 2018 as we did the year before,” Klimek says.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 30, 2018

The play appeared on the stage in the spring of 1836, and achieved a full success, in spite of the opposition attempted by the official classes whose malpractices it exposed.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various

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Related Words

• carelessness
• dereliction
• misbehavior
• misdeed
• mismanagement
• negligence
• transgression
• violation

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