mal·ad·min·is·tra·tion
ˌma-ləd-ˌmi-nə-ˈstrā-shən 
1
: corrupt or incompetent administration (as of a public office)
2
: incorrect administration (as of a drug)
mal·administer
"+
: to administer improperly, poorly, or inefficiently
maladminister the public relief program
Examples of maladministration in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Winston would fit right in with Trump's maladministration.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Saying so much about the administration, or maladministration, of justice.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
Disgust, because the city’s maladministration has gone on for so long.
—Colbert I. King, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
The consequence is untold waste, fraud, maladministration and lawlessness.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024
Aside from a potential prison sentence for a felony conviction, a charge of bribery, corruption, malpractice, or maladministration could be grounds for impeachment under the New Hampshire Constitution.
—Steven Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023
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Noun
The liberal impulse — insistence that injustice isn’t cured by patience, willingness to reform systems that calcify into maladministration — can keep institutions from becoming the archives of old hierarchies.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Winston would fit right in with Trump's maladministration.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Saying so much about the administration, or maladministration, of justice.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
Disgust, because the city’s maladministration has gone on for so long.
—Colbert I. King, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
The consequence is untold waste, fraud, maladministration and lawlessness.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024
Aside from a potential prison sentence for a felony conviction, a charge of bribery, corruption, malpractice, or maladministration could be grounds for impeachment under the New Hampshire Constitution.
—Steven Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Maladministration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maladministration. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
maladministration
noun
mal·ad·min·is·tra·tion
ˌmal-əd-ˌmin-ə-ˈstrā-shən
: incorrect administration (as of a drug)
maladministration of insulin
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