malpractice

American  

[mal-prak-tis] / mælˈpræk tɪs /

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.

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malpractice British  

/ ˌmælprækˈtɪʃənə, 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

Etymology

Origin of malpractice

First recorded in 1665–75; mal- + practice

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

Data from Ofqual shows that the use of mobile phones and smart devices has been the most common form of exam malpractice in every summer exam series since 2018.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Local lawyers have been unwilling to take on a malpractice case because Waldorf didn’t die or end up with permanent injuries.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

Married to prominent medical malpractice attorney Daniel Broderick, she maintained a position of influence and popularity in the ritzy La Jolla community where the couple raised their four children.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

An increase in patients, not enough medical staff, the threat of malpractice lawsuits, and distress about patients’ inability to pay for healthcare got so bad that he developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

After he lost the malpractice lawsuit—his first, and a big shock to him I now realize—he started pushing me to make decisons.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Related Words

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