Male`ad*min`is*tra"tion (ml`d*mn`s*tr"shn), n. Maladministration.
Ma*le"ate (?), n. A salt of maleic acid.
Male*branch"ism (?), n. The philosophical system of Malebranche, an
eminent French metaphysician. The fundamental doctrine of his system is
that the mind can not have knowledge of anything external to itself
except in its relation to God.
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Male*con`for*ma"tion (?), n. Malconformation.
Male"con*tent` (?), a. Malcontent.
Mal`e*di"cen*cy (?), n. [L. maledicentia. See Maledicent.] Evil
speaking. [Obs.] Atterbury.
Mal`e*di"cent (?), a. [L. maledicens, p. pr. of maledicere to speak
ill; male ill + dicere to say, speak. See Malice, and Diction.]
Speaking reproachfully; slanderous. [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys.
Mal"e*dict (?), a. [L. maledictus, p. p. of maledicere.] Accursed;
abominable. [R.]
Mal`e*dic"tion, n. [L. maledictio: cf. F. malédiction. See Maledicent.]
A proclaiming of evil against some one; a cursing; imprecation; a curse
or execration; -- opposed to benediction.
No malediction falls from his tongue.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- Cursing; curse; execration; imprecation; denunciation;
anathema. -- Malediction, Curse, Imprecation, Execration. Malediction
is the most general term, denoting bitter reproach, or wishes and
predictions of evil. Curse implies the desire or threat of evil,
declared upon oath or in the most solemn manner. Imprecation is
literally the praying down of evil upon a person. Execration is
literally a putting under the ban of excommunication, a curse which
excludes from the kingdom of God. In ordinary usage, the last three
words describe profane swearing, execration being the strongest.
Mal`e*fac"tion (?), n. [See Malefactor.] A crime; an offense; an evil
deed. [R.] Shak.
Mal`e*fac"tor (?), n. [L., fr. malefacere to do evil; male ill, evil +
facere to do. See Malice, and Fact.] 1. An evil doer; one who commits a
crime; one subject to public prosecution and punishment; a criminal.
2. One who does wrong by injuring another, although not a criminal.
[Obs.] H. Brooke. Fuller.
Syn. -- Evil doer; criminal; culprit; felon; convict.
Mal`e*fac"tress (?), n. A female malefactor. Hawthorne.
Male*fea"sance (?), n. See Malfeasance.
Ma*lef"ic (?), a. [L. maleficus: cf. F. maléfique. See Malefaction.]
Doing mischief; causing harm or evil; nefarious; hurtful. [R.] Chaucer.
Mal"e*fice (?), n. [L. maleficium: cf. F. maléfice. See Malefactor.] An
evil deed; artifice; enchantment. [Obs.]
Ma*lef"i*cence (?), n. [L. maleficentia. Cf. Malfeasance.] Evil doing,
esp. to others.
Ma*lef"i*cent (?), a. [See Malefic.] Doing evil to others; harmful;
mischievous.
Mal`e*fi"cial (?), a. Injurious. Fuller.
Mal`e*fi"ci*ate (?), v. t. [LL. maleficiatus, p. p. of maleficiare to
bewitch, fr. L. maleficium. See Malefice.] To bewitch; to harm. [Obs.]
Burton.