malfeasance

WOTD – 9 May 2009    

English

Etymology

From Old French malfaisance, derived from malfaire, maufaire (“do evil”), from Latin malefaciō (“I do evil”), from male (“evilly”) + faciō (“do, make”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌmælˈfiːsəns/, X-SAMPA: /%m{l"fi:.s@ns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mal‧fea‧sance

Noun

Wikipedia malfeasance (plural malfeasances)

1. wrongdoing
2. (law) Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official that causes damage.

Synonyms

• (wrongdoing): misconduct, wrongdoing

Related terms

• malfeasant
• malefactor
• maleficent
• misfeasance
• nonfeasance

Translations

wrongdoing

• Czech: zločin (cs) m, trestný čin (cs) m, přestoupení (cs) n zákona (cs)
• German: Übeltat (de) f, Untat (de) f, (strong) Schandtat (de) f
• Scottish Gaelic: olc (gd) m

• Serbo-Croatian: malverzacija (sh) f
• Spanish: maldad (es) f

sabotage that causes damage

• Czech: sabotáž (cs) f
• German: Sabotage (de) f, Sabotageakt (de) m
• Portuguese: prevaricacão (pt) f

• Scottish Gaelic: sabotàis (gd) f
• Spanish: abuso de autoridad (es)