Definition of malefactor
1 : one who commits an offense against the law; especially : felon He favors harsh punishment for chronic malefactors.
2 : one who does ill toward another a sinister malefactor abusing his power — Iron Age
From the M-W Editors
Examples of malefactor in a Sentence
she regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort
the victim was able to give a clear description of the malefactor to the police
Recent Examples of malefactor from the Web
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The referees had an off night, even forgetting which malefactor player had how many technical fouls.
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The religious police patrolled the streets looking for purported malefactors and were given a more or less free hand to do so.
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As a result, 10 malefactors were wounded and brought to a hospital for treatment but were declared dead upon arrival.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malefactor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of malefactor
Middle English malefactour, from Latin malefactor, from malefacere to do evil, from male + facere to do — more at do
MALEFACTOR Defined for English Language Learners
malefactor
playDefinition of malefactor for English Language Learners
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: someone who is guilty of a crime or offense : a person whose behavior is wrong or evil
Learn More about malefactor
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See words that rhyme with malefactor Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for malefactor Spanish Central: Translation of malefactor Nglish: Translation of malefactor for Spanish speakers
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