The accountant who stole from the firm went to jail for corporate malfeasance.
Source: tatoeba (7780297)
Malfeasance
/ˌmælˈfiːzəns/
Synonyms for "malfeasance" (115 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (23)
abuseabuse of officeatrocitybad policybefoulmentbreachconversioncorrupt administrationcrimecrime against humanitycriminal tendencycriminalitycriminosisdeadly sindebasementdefalcationdefilementdelinquencyderelictiondesecration
Noun(3 words)
Strong matches (35)
diversionembezzlementenormityerrorevilevil coursesevildoingfailurefaultfeloniousnessfelonyfoulinggenocideguilty actheavy sinimpolicyimproprietyindiscretioninexpedienceinexpediency
Show 14 more words
Noun(1 words)
Related words (57)
misappropriationmisconductmisdeedmisdemeanormisdirectionmisdoingmisemploymentmisfeasancemisgovernmentmisguidancemishandlingmismanagementmisprisionmisprision of treasonmisrulemisusagemisusemortal sinneglectnegligence
Show 32 more words
nonfeasanceoffenseomissionoutragepeccadillopeccancypeculationperversionpilferingpollutionpoor stewardshippositive misprisionprofanationprostitutionsinsin of commissionsin of omissionsinful actslipthou scarlet sintorttransgressiontrespasstripunutterable sinvenial sinviceviciousnessviolationwrongwrong conductwrongdoing
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abuse, abuse of office, atrocity, bad policy, befoulment.
- Sentence evidence is available for malfeasance, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "malfeasance".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "malfeasance"
Keep "malfeasance" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "malfeasance" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "malfeasance", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "malfeasance" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
6 entriesacts of malfeasancecorporate malfeasancehigh profile malfeasanceofficial malfeasancepolitical malfeasancepublic office malfeasance
Inflections
1 entriesSample sentences
5 total sentences available.
The Catalan politicians are accused of disobedience, embezzlement, and malfeasance.
Source: tatoeba (11320578)
An investigative committee has accused 300 organizations, individuals and some army officials of financial malfeasance totaling an estimated $241 million in fraud and overpayments of contracts.
Source: tatoeba (11549963)
For starters, back-burnering malfeasance, usually in the form of graft, risks repeating the kind of disastrous mistakes that the United States made in Afghanistan.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "malfeasance"?
Closest matches include abuse, abuse of office, atrocity, bad policy, befoulment.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "malfeasance"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.