Meaning & use
malfeasance
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Meanings
noununcountablelegal
Illegal or seriously improper conduct by someone trusted with an official duty, especially a public official.
Grammar: Usually has no article or plural: the report found malfeasance.
Patterns
- malfeasance in office
- accuse someone of malfeasance
The mayor was investigated for malfeasance in office.
Auditors uncovered evidence of malfeasance in the agency.
He denied any malfeasance in handling the funds.
nouncountableformal
A specific act of wrongdoing by a person in a position of trust, such as a corporate executive.
Grammar: The countable use is rarer and found in legal writing: acts of malfeasance.
Patterns
- acts of malfeasance
Several malfeasances came to light during the inquiry.
The board listed the malfeasances it had found.
Each malfeasance was recorded in the report.
Word forms
| plural | malfeasances |
|---|
Common combinations
- official malfeasance
- The investigation focused on official malfeasance.
- corporate malfeasance
- Corporate malfeasance cost investors millions.
- accused of malfeasance
- The treasurer was accused of malfeasance.
- malfeasance in office
- He was removed for malfeasance in office.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misconduct
- Misconduct is a broader and less formal term, since it covers any improper behavior at work.
- corruption
- Corruption stresses dishonest use of power for gain, which malfeasance does not always require.
- wrongdoing
- Wrongdoing is the everyday word for bad behavior, whereas malfeasance is formal and legal.
- misfeasance
- Misfeasance means doing a lawful act improperly, while malfeasance means doing something unlawful.
Opposites
Word family
- malfeasant noun
- a person who commits malfeasance
- misfeasance noun
- improper performance of a lawful act
- nonfeasance noun
- failure to do a duty
- malpractice noun
- improper professional conduct
Commonly confused: malfeasance or misfeasance?
malfeasance vs misfeasance
Misfeasance means doing a legal duty badly, while malfeasance means doing something illegal.
Practice
The audit found that the city treasurer had taken money from public funds, an act of official ____.
Choose one answer.
Malfeasance means wrongdoing by an official. The other nouns sound alike at the start but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “malfeasance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.