different between malefactor vs malfeasance

English

Alternative forms

• malefactour (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin malefactor, from Latin malefaci?, from male (“evilly”) + factus (“made or done”), past participle of facio (“I make or do”).

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: m??l?f?k't?r, IPA^(key): /?mæl??fækt?/

Noun

malefactor (plural malefactors)

1. A criminal or felon.
2. An evildoer.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:criminal
• See also Thesaurus:villain

Antonyms

• benefactor

Related terms

• maleficent

Translations

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *maledfakt?r, related to malefactus (perfect passive participle of malefaci?), corresponding to male (“evilly”) + factus (“made or done”), past participle of facio (“I make or do”). Used in Old Latin by Plautus and then more commonly in Late Latin.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ma.le?fak.tor/, [mä????fäkt??r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ma.le?fak.tor/, [m?l??f?kt??r]

Noun

malefactor m (genitive malefact?ris); third declension

1. wrongdoer, evildoer, malefactor

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Antonyms

• benefactor

Descendants

References

• malefactor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• malefactor in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• malefactor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

English

Etymology

From Old French malfaisance, derived from malfaire, maufaire (“to do evil”), from Latin malefaci? (“I do evil”), from male (“evilly”) + faci? (“do, make”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mæl?fi?z?ns/
• Hyphenation: mal?fea?sance

Noun

malfeasance (countable and uncountable, plural malfeasances)

1. Wrongdoing.
2. (law) Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official and causing damage.

Synonyms

• (wrongdoing): misconduct, wrongdoing

Related terms

• feasance
• malfeasant
• malefactor
• maleficent
• maleficence
• misfeasance
• nonfeasance

Translations