malfeasance

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noun mal·fea·sance \ ˌmal-ˈfē-zᵊn(t)s \

Definition of malfeasance

:wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official

The investigation has uncovered evidence of corporate malfeasance.

See malfeasance defined for English-language learners

See malfeasance defined for kids

Examples of malfeasance in a Sentence

The investigation has uncovered evidence of corporate malfeasance.
a campaign to impeach the governor for malfeasance in office

Recent Examples of malfeasance from the Web

The New York Times and Washington Post publish unflattering exposes of the administration on a near-nightly basis — occasionally, stumbling upon malfeasance that eluded the gaze of entire intelligence agencies.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Six Months In, Is Trump’s America Living Up to Liberals’ Worst Fears?," 22 July 2017
PR defense’ to his serious and very specific fraud and malfeasance claims against them.

— vanityfair.com, "Johnny Depp’s Extravagant Spending Habits Ruled Irrelevant By Judge—For Now," 11 July 2017
Depp filed a suit against his business managers, Robert and Joel Mandel, and their firm, the Management Group (TMG), in January, alleging various counts of malfeasance and mismanagement.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "Johnny Depp’s Extravagant Spending Habits Ruled Irrelevant By Judge—For Now," 11 July 2017
PR defense’ to his serious fraud and malfeasance claims against them.

— lindsay kimble, PEOPLE.com, "Johnny Depp's Spending Habits Not Currently Relevant to Fraud Claims Against Him by Former Business Managers, Judge Rules," 10 July 2017
Recorde chose to dispute it with the Earl, filing a suit of malfeasance against him.

— esther inglis-arkell, Ars Technica, "The strange and righteous history of the equals sign," 9 July 2017
Or, hacking into a former co-worker’s email account to send out company criticisms and accusations of corporate malfeasance.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "He left the company, but didn’t go away. Now, he’s going away for seven years.," 4 July 2017
Brock wrote in a memo to the judge that Green's malfeasance came to light after sheriff's Sgt.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Detective who didn't investigate dozens of cases was burned out, defense lawyer says," 29 June 2017
That is a separate process guided by state law, which says a council member must show malfeasance, misfeasance or unfitness for office to be removed.

— tessa weinberg and phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Dan Johnson angry about leaks. At least that's what a leaked email tells us," 26 June 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of malfeasance

mal- + obsolete feasance doing, execution

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1663

See Words from the same year

malfeasance Synonyms

Synonyms

misconduct, misbehavior, misdoing, wrongdoing

Related Words

crime, malefaction, misdeed, misdemeanor, sin, transgression, trespass, wrong; malpractice; goings-on, hanky-panky; familiarity, gaffe, impropriety, indiscretion; blunder, error, fault, flub, fumble, goof, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, slip, slipup, stumble

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, modus operandi

Financial Definition of MALFEASANCE

malfeasance

noun

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 Defined for English Language Learners

malfeasance

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noun

Definition of malfeasance for English Language Learners

law : illegal or dishonest activity especially by a public official or a corporation

Law Dictionary

malfeasance

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noun mal·fea·sance \ ˌmal-ˈfēz-ᵊns \

legal Definition of malfeasance

:the commission (as by a public official) of a wrongful or unlawful act involving or affecting the performance of one's duties — compare misfeasance, nonfeasance