malice

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin malitia (“badness, bad quality, ill-will, spite”), from malus (“bad”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmælɪs/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

malice (usually uncountable, plural malices)

  1. Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
    • 1981, Philip K. Dick, Valis, →ISBN, page 67:
      […] not only was there no gratitude (which he could psychologically handle) but downright malice showed itself instead.
  2. (law) An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

  • malice in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • malice in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

Esperanto

Etymology

malico +‎ -e

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmalitse/
  • Hyphenation: mal‧ice

Adverb

malice

  1. maliciously

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin malitia.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ma.lis/

Noun

malice f (plural malices)

  1. mischief
  2. malice

References

Further reading

Old French

Noun

malice f (oblique plural malices, nominative singular malice, nominative plural malices)

  1. malice, evilness, evil intentions
  2. malicious act

References

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