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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Thanks for being the best friend and mentor and partner in crime.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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According to the department, Chávez Jr. has been charged with several crimes while in the U.S. On Jan. 22, 2012, the California Highwaay Patrol arrested Chávez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and driving without a license.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
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The list obtained by the Herald/Times states that his uncle, Denis Alcides Solis Morales, has immigration violations and makes no mention of convictions or pending criminal charges.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
13 July 2025
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Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management, helped facilitate the tour and told lawmakers that those with yellow wristbands, the lowest level, had committed noncriminal offenses such as traffic violations.—
Kairi Lowery,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025
Noun
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Every year, villagers in Brittany gathered to have their sins forgiven, dance the gavotte, and watch the young townsmen wrestle after denouncing the devil.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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Brazil is a beast soaked in the sins of environmental destruction and human rights violations.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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