MALEFICENCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does maleficence mean? 

• MALEFICENCE (noun)
  The noun MALEFICENCE has 2 senses:

1. doing or causing evil

2. the quality or nature of being harmful or evil

  Familiarity information: MALEFICENCE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MALEFICENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Doing or causing evil

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("maleficence" is a kind of...):

malevolence; malignity (wishing evil to others)

Antonym:

beneficence (doing good; feeling beneficent)

Derivation:

maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality or nature of being harmful or evil

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

balefulness; maleficence; mischief

Hypernyms ("maleficence" is a kind of...):

evil; evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)

Attribute:

maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)

Antonym:

beneficence (the quality of being kind or helpful or generous)

Derivation:

maleficent (harmful or evil in intent or effect)