malefaction

noun

ˌma-lə-ˈfak-shən How to pronounce malefaction (audio)
Definition of malefactionnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefaction
  1. crime
  2. violation
  3. sin
Noun
  • Chainalysis attributes 84% of illicit crypto transaction volume to stablecoins, the endpoint of a shift the crime economy started making years ago, and stablecoins now settle more monthly volume than ACH.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The case is drawing attention to youth crime and the juvenile justice system, raising questions about how young offenders are held accountable.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of crime
Noun
  • Despite that, the students were still found responsible for the indoor protest ban violation.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • He was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, as well as a probation violation, and booked into the Main Jail in San Jose.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Seven of our contributors gamely shared (some of) their secret sins.
    — Sabrina Jaszi, The Dial, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And, no, being a writer isn’t a sin, but, at least in my extended family, stories are sacred, and who gets to tell them is of great importance.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of sin

Browse Nearby Words

maledicts
malefaction
malefactions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Malefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefaction. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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