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
According to state records, a $194,000 medical malpractice judgment was awarded against Lee in 1996 in Orange County Superior Court.
—
Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
Animal-language studies acquired an unshakable odor of malfeasance and scientific malpractice.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Jackson did not originally disclose income from her husband’s medical malpractice consulting work.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025
Although doctors ultimately determine whether to cut off insurance coverage for a particular treatment, those decisions are generally not considered the practice of medicine and therefore cannot be challenged in a malpractice lawsuit.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for malpractice 
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Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
Animal-language studies acquired an unshakable odor of malfeasance and scientific malpractice.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Jackson did not originally disclose income from her husband’s medical malpractice consulting work.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025
Although doctors ultimately determine whether to cut off insurance coverage for a particular treatment, those decisions are generally not considered the practice of medicine and therefore cannot be challenged in a malpractice lawsuit.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for malpractice
Dictionary Entries Near malpractice
Cite this Entry
“Malpractice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malpractice. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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