noun
malfeasance
mal-FEE-zuhns
noun
1
Wrongdoing, especially illegal or unethical conduct by someone in a position of trust or authority.
"The audit uncovered years of financial malfeasance by senior executives."
How to Use Malfeasance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWrongdoing by an official or someone with power, usually involving abuse of their position.
When to use it
Formal, mostly legal or journalistic — you won't hear it in casual conversation.
Common pairings
official malfeasance
corporate malfeasance
allegations of malfeasance
Word Forms
malfeasances plural
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The audit uncovered years of financial _____ by senior executives.
Etymology
From Old French malfaisance, "doing evil," from male ("badly") and faire ("to do").