malversation

noun

mal·ver·sa·tion | \ ˌmal-vər-ˈsā-shən

How to pronounce malversation (audio)

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Definition of malversation

1 : misbehavior and especially corruption in an office, trust, or commission

2 : corrupt administration

Did you know?

The form mal- is often a bad sign in a word, and malversation is no exception. In Middle French, mal- (meaning "bad," from the Latin word for "bad," malus) teamed up with verser ("to turn, handle," from the Latin verb vertere, "to turn ") to create malverser, a verb meaning "to be corrupt." This in turn led to the French noun malversation, which was adopted by English speakers in the mid-16th century. Some other mal- words that entered English from Middle French are maladroit ("inept"), malcontent ("discontented"), and maltreat ("to treat badly").

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Cite this Entry

“Malversation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malversation. Accessed 9 Aug. 2022.

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