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
As a result, even though she was physically injured and was essentially seeking compensation for her physical injury, her legal malpractice settlement was taxed.
—Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
But his efforts are short-lived, especially when Alice inadvertently gets him to promise to keep committing therapist malpractice.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
Both parties are guilty of this economic malpractice.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024
This is why the Tolkien estate closely guarded its intellectual property for so long, and serves now as glaring evidence of the kind of creative malpractice its former stewards were concerned about.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near malpractice
Cite this Entry
“Malpractice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malpractice. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on malpractice
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for malpractice
Nglish: Translation of malpractice for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of malpractice for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about malpractice
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