malfeasant
1
9.9
- noun
- /mælˈfiːzənt/
- Formal
- Reflection suggests that, although participants must be protected against the unwarranted intrusions of feckless researchers, too blinkered a focus on individual rights in health-related studies may have a malfeasant effect on societal interests as well as research investigative choices.
Examples
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And I'm pretty sure that in Ohio there is no statutory provision for statewide "recall" of malfeasant officials.
Blog text (24) -
There is nothing sacred to these malfeasants.
Blog text (34) -
The election just confirmed to this malfeasant that he is correct.
Blog text (34) -
By this extension, then, any malfeasant seeking assistance from the devil could be labeled "witch."
Academic text (2001) -
The malfeasants need to stop their scaremongering, and all reasonable people need to speak up against them.
Blog text (23) -
Identifying blatantly malfeasant prosecutors is a tougher issue for lawmakers, since those who make honest mistakes deserve legal protection.
Blog text (8) -
Bron, if you distrust doctors so much and are so concerned about the 98,000 who are killed via malpractice, I am sure you are a strong supporter of tort actions against malfeasant doctors.
Blog text (9) -
Now, as for "... the labeling (establishment, RINO, National Socialists, religious whack-jobs, etc.) of Republicans" as the various kinds of malfeasant enemies of the republic they so truly are, have you got some aversion to correct taxonomy?
Blog text (11) -
The politician was labeled a malfeasant after being caught committing fraud in office.
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Residents demanded the removal of the malfeasant official who had been misusing public funds.
How Wrongful
Surface Forms
Morphology
malfeasant = malfeasance (semi-transparent) = mal + feas + ant
The relation to the noun 'malfeasance' (wrongdoing) is clear for learners who know that word, but the internal element 'feas' is not a standalone English word, so full transparency is limited.
Etymology
The word malfeasant comes from the parts mal- 'bad' and the Latin root facere 'to do', which you can also see in malfunction and factory. So a malfeasant is literally someone who 'does wrong', especially a public official who breaks the law or abuses their job.