Malfeasance: meaning, definitions and examples

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malfeasance

 

[ mælˈfiːzəns ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

legal term

Wrongdoing, especially by a public official. The performance of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law.

Synonyms

corruption, misconduct, wrongdoing

Examples of usage

  • His malfeasance as a government official led to his impeachment.
  • The investigation uncovered evidence of financial malfeasance within the company.

Translations

Translations of the word "malfeasance" in other languages:

🇵🇹 má conduta

🇮🇳 दुराचार

🇩🇪 Fehlverhalten

🇮🇩 penyalahgunaan wewenang

🇺🇦 зловживання службовим становищем

🇵🇱 nadużycie

🇯🇵 不正行為

🇫🇷 malversation

🇪🇸 malversación

🇹🇷 yolsuzluk

🇰🇷 직권 남용

🇸🇦 سوء التصرف

🇨🇿 přečin

🇸🇰 zneužitie právomoci

🇨🇳 渎职

🇸🇮 zloraba

🇮🇸 misbeiting

🇰🇿 қызмет бабын теріс пайдалану

🇬🇪 სამსახურებრივი უფლებამოსილების ბოროტად გამოყენება

🇦🇿 vəzifə səlahiyyətlərindən sui-istifadə

🇲🇽 malversación

Etymology

The word 'malfeasance' comes from the French 'mal' (bad) and 'faire' (to do), directly translating to 'bad doing'. It has been used in English since the 17th century to refer to wrongful or illegal actions, especially in the context of public officials or corporate misconduct.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25,282, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.