malfeasance
noun
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Definition of malfeasance
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Synonyms for malfeasance
Synonyms
misbehavior, misconduct, misdoing, wrongdoing
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Examples of malfeasance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One worry is legal: There are differing views on whether impeachment is even a viable option for alleged malfeasance that didn’t occur in office. — Jon Kamp, WSJ, "Virginia’s Black Caucus Gains Strength Amid Political Turmoil," 15 Feb. 2019 But Black Monday doesn't reckon—even sardonically or sneeringly—with Wall Street's abhorrent ethical malfeasance. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "Black Monday on Showtime: Maybe Wall Street Isn't Funny Anymore," 21 Jan. 2019 The three companies were put under sanctions in April 2017 because they are controlled by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire who was targeted as part of a broad effort to penalize Moscow for election meddling and other malfeasance. — Samuel Rubenfeld, WSJ, "Push to Block Easing of Sanctions Could Make U.S. Wary of High-Profile Targets," 16 Jan. 2019 State law allows the governor to suspend an elections supervisor for malfeasance or incompetence and appoint a replacement. — Sean Sullivan, The Seattle Times, "Republicans fan unfounded worries about voter fraud in Florida, other close contests," 12 Nov. 2018 Brill, a lawyer who became a journalist and entrepreneur, draws quite a bit here on his previous work, using several decades of writing and thinking about subjects as varied as education and corporate malfeasance to figure out what has gone wrong. — Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, "The Cry of the Centrist: In ‘Tailspin,’ Steven Brill Bemoans a Polarized America," 5 June 2018 The incidence of banker malfeasance and theft is high, and someone has to represent all those employees who get caught. — James Atlas, Town & Country, "The Year of the Celebrity Super Lawyer," 3 Dec. 2018 Some analysts argue that the malfeasance and self-dealing that pervaded 70 years of one-party rule by the PRI are dyed into the fabric of Mexican governance. — Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, "Mexico’s new president is a populist who railed against the ruling class. But he’s no Trump.," 1 July 2018 The 55-year-old sued The Management Group in January 2017, accusing the company of fraud, theft and malfeasance in its mismanagement of his business and financial interests. — Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, "Johnny Depp reaches settlement agreement with former business managers," 16 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malfeasance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Last Updated
27 Feb 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for malfeasance
The first known use of malfeasance was in 1663
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More Definitions for malfeasance
malfeasance
nounFinancial Definition of malfeasance
What It Is
Malfeasance is the legal term for intentionally doing something that is illegal.
How It Works
Let's say John Doe is Jane Smith's broker. John really wants to keep Jane Smith as a client, and he is in charge of her managed account, which means he can buy and sell for her account without her prior approval.
John decides that he wants to increase the returns in Jane's account, so he gets a tip from his buddy, Jake Johnson, who is the CFO of Company XYZ and who tells him that Company XYZ is about to be acquired by Company ABC. John takes this piece of insider information and buys 10,000 shares of Company XYZ for Jane's account. As expected, the stock price of Company XYZ soars 50% after Company ABC announces its acquisition plan five days later. Jane's account makes $200,000.
John has intentionally done something illegal (trade on insider information) that he knows could harm Jane if caught. This is malfeasance.
Why It Matters
Malfeasance is a term often connected to political figures, and it is hard to prove.
Source: Investing Answers
malfeasance
noun
English Language Learners Definition of malfeasance
See the full definition for malfeasance in the English Language Learners Dictionary
malfeasance
noun
\
Legal Definition of malfeasance
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