as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
the town treasurer has been linked to the kickback scheme and other financial malefactions
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Recent Examples of malefaction
And the principle remains that representing a malefactor isn’t, ipso facto, an act of malefaction.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
A pitch-framing specialist with rare agility behind the plate, Wolters must coax pitchers through Coors Field and its occasional malefactions.
—Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefaction
Noun
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Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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Webster was arraigned Wednesday on charges of assault with intent to murder and lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iran disagrees strongly, and called Israel's ongoing attacks in Lebanon a violation of the ongoing two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.—
April 16,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Rodgers echoed Kelly’s trepidations by arguing that the city should take more explicit actions under code that already exists to protect against ordinance violations.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There are worse sins in the world.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Believers confess their sins to a priest, receive spiritual guidance and absolution and typically are required to make an act of contrition like saying specific prayers.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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