Definition of MALICE

malice

Plural: malices

Noun

  • A desire to injure another; ill will.
  • feeling a need to see others suffer
  • the quality of threatening evil
  • Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
  • An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

Verb

  • To intend to cause harm; to bear malice.

Examples

  • There was no malice in his word choice, just pure strategic brilliance.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English malice, borrowed from Old French malice, from Latin malitia (“badness, bad quality, ill-will, spite”), from malus (“bad”).

Scrabble Score: 10

malice: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
malice: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
malice: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

malice: valid Words With Friends Word