Meaning & use

malpractice

noun·Academic

Negligent or improper conduct by a professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, that causes harm to a client or patient.

See it in a sentence

The surgeon was sued for malpractice after leaving an instrument inside a patient.

The lawyer's malpractice ended up costing his client both the case and a great deal of money.

A note on using this word

Malpractice specifically involves a professional failing to meet accepted standards of care, unlike an ordinary mistake.

Words with a similar meaning

negligencemisconduct

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

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