maleficence

maleficence
/meuh lef"euh seuhns/, n.
1. the doing of evil or harm: the maleficence of thieves.
2. the quality or state of being maleficent or harmful.
[1590-1600; < L maleficentia. See MALEFIC, -ENCE]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • maleficence — (n.) 1590s, from M.Fr. maleficence or directly from L. maleficentia evildoing, mischievousness, injury, from maleficus wicked (see MALEFIC (Cf. malefic)). Now largely displaced by MALFEASANCE (Cf. malfeasance) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Maleficence — Ma*lef i*cence, n. [L. maleficentia. Cf. {Malfeasance}.] Evil doing, esp. to others. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • maleficence — index vice Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • maleficence — noun Etymology: Italian maleficenza, from Latin maleficentia, from maleficus Date: 1598 1. a. the act of committing harm or evil b. a harmful or evil act 2. the quality or state of being maleficent …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • maleficence — noun harmfulness or mischief …   Wiktionary

  • maleficence —  , malfeasance  The first means a propensity to cause hurt or harm. The second is a legal term describing wrongdoing …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • maleficence — mÉ™ lefɪsns n. act of doing evil; harmfulness …   English contemporary dictionary

  • maleficence — ma·lef·i·cence …   English syllables

  • maleficence — /məˈlɛfəsəns/ (say muh lefuhsuhns) noun 1. the doing of evil or harm. 2. maleficent or harmful character. {Latin maleficientia} …  

  • maleficence — noun 1. doing or causing evil • Ant: ↑beneficence • Derivationally related forms: ↑maleficent • Hypernyms: ↑malevolence, ↑malignity 2. the quality or nature of being harmful or evil …   Useful english dictionary

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