Meaning & use

malfeasant

adjective·Advanced

Guilty of wrongdoing or misconduct, especially in an official position of trust.

See it in a sentence

The report named several malfeasant officials who had accepted bribes.

Shareholders demanded the immediate removal of the malfeasant board members.

A note on using this word

Malfeasant is rare and formal, mostly in legal or journalistic writing about official misconduct.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A person who commits wrongdoing, especially while holding public office or a position of trust.

The commission was formed to investigate malfeasants within the department.

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