malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice ˌmal-ˈprak-təs 

1

: a dereliction of professional duty or a failure to exercise an ordinary degree of professional skill or learning by one (such as a physician) rendering professional services which results in injury, loss, or damage

2

: an injurious, negligent, or improper practice : malfeasance

Examples of malpractice in a Sentence

a surgeon accused of malpractice

Doctors need to have malpractice insurance to protect themselves against lawsuits.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no clear framework for liability or malpractice if something goes wrong. —Chrissa McFarlane, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Last month, the government of South Korea, where A is from, admitted that its adoption agencies engaged in fraud or malpractice to keep up with demand, including not properly vetting prospective parents. —Juliana Kim, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025

But assuming any long-term Allen absence automatically equals a lost season would be managerial malpractice. —Tim Graham, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

Fresh out of law school, Rudy is an inexperienced attorney with a medical malpractice case against legendary attorney Leo F. Drummond (Slattery) that exposes a shocking conspiracy. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for malpractice

• actus
• cactus
• practice
• practise
• tractus

Kids Definition

malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice (ˈ)mal-ˈprak-təs 

: violation of professional standards especially by carelessness or improper conduct

Medical Definition

malpractice

1 of 2 noun

mal·​prac·​tice (ˈ)mal-ˈprak-təs 

: a dereliction of professional duty or a failure to exercise an accepted degree of professional skill or learning by a physician rendering professional services which results in injury, loss, or damage

malpractice

2 of 2 intransitive verb

malpracticed; malpracticing

: to engage in or commit malpractice

Legal Definition

malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice ˌmal-ˈprak-təs 

: negligence, misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or a breach of duty in the performance of a professional service (as in medicine) resulting in injury or loss