malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice ˌmal-ˈprak-təs 

1

: a dereliction of professional duty or a failure to exercise an ordinary degree of professional skill or learning by one (such as a physician) rendering professional services which results in injury, loss, or damage

2

: an injurious, negligent, or improper practice : malfeasance

Examples of malpractice in a Sentence

a surgeon accused of malpractice

Doctors need to have malpractice insurance to protect themselves against lawsuits.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jurors in New Mexico have awarded a man more than $412 million in a medical malpractice case that involved a men's health clinic that operates in several states. —CBS News, 28 Nov. 2024

His deprivation of care is not only medical malpractice, but a violation of his constitutional rights. —Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 2 Dec. 2024

Jurors awarded the man — who is now in his 70s and has not been named — $412 million in punitive and compensatory damages following the medical malpractice trial in Albuquerque in November 2024. —Simon Perry, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024

Eventually, the couple hired another lawyer, Adam Wolf, and filed suit against the clinic, alleging medical malpractice, negligence and breach of contract. —Julia Whelan Krish Seenivasan Lance Neal, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice (ˈ)mal-ˈprak-təs 

: violation of professional standards especially by carelessness or improper conduct

Medical Definition

malpractice

1 of 2 noun

mal·​prac·​tice (ˈ)mal-ˈprak-təs 

: a dereliction of professional duty or a failure to exercise an accepted degree of professional skill or learning by a physician rendering professional services which results in injury, loss, or damage

malpractice

2 of 2 intransitive verb

malpracticed; malpracticing

: to engage in or commit malpractice

Legal Definition

malpractice

noun

mal·​prac·​tice ˌmal-ˈprak-təs 

: negligence, misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or a breach of duty in the performance of a professional service (as in medicine) resulting in injury or loss