Lexic.us

Definition of Malice

1. Noun. Feeling a need to see others suffer.

Definition of Malice

1. n. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil.

2. v. t. To regard with extreme ill will.

Definition of Malice

1. Noun. Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Malice

1. a desire to injure another [n -S]

Medical Definition of Malice

1. 1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil. "Nor set down aught in malice." "Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct passions of the mind." (Ld. Holt) 2. Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness. Malice aforethought or prepense, malice previously and deliberately entertained. Synonym: Spite, ill will, malevolence, grudge, pique, bitterness, animosity, malignity, maliciousness, rancor, virulence. See Spite. Malevolence, Malignity, Malignancy. Malice is a stronger word than malevolence, which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it about. Malignity is intense and deepseated malice. It implies a natural delight in hating and wronging others. One who is malignant must be both malevolent and malicious; but a man may be malicious without being malignant. "Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy." (Somerville) "in some connections, malignity seems rather more pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper and conduct in particular instances." (Cogan) Origin: F. Malice, fr. L. Malitia, from malus bad, ill, evil, prob. Orig, dirty, black; cf. Gr. Black, Skr. Mala dirt. Cf. Mauger. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Malice

Literary usage of Malice

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1920)
"malice is the deliberate intention unlawfully to take human life, where the law neither ... That is the legal definition of malice. malice aforethought, ..."

2. A Treatise of Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental by David ( Hume (1898)
"Of the Mixture of Benevolence and Anger with Compassion and malice. Thus we have endeavour'd to account for pity and malice. Both these affections arise ..."

3. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"Drawing a distinction between these two elements of malice, certain casuists, early in the seventeenth century, declared that intercourse with a married ..."

4. Pacific Reporter by West Publishing Company (1886)
"Knox, Ii6 NY 525. it is said that to maintain his case the plaintiff must prove malice in fact as distinguished from malice in law. malice in law is where ..."

5. United States Supreme Court Reports by Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, United States Supreme Court (1912)
"It has ever been admitted, that into slander or libel, malice essentially enters. Slander or libel is an injury inflicted with a wicked or malevolent motive ..."

6. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench: With by Great Britain Court of King's Bench, George Mifflin Wharton (1845)
"GROSE, J. It is necessary for the plaintiff to give evidence of malice in the defendant, in order to support the action. LE BLANC, J. An action for,a ..."

7. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Judicature by William Johnson, New York (State). Supreme Court (1859)
"*The only question is, whether such a petition, so presented, affords such a legal inference of malice, as will support the action. ..."

8. A Treatise on the Law of Evidence by Simon Greenleaf (1899)
"malice is judged of with reference to the party ; and whatever fairly tends to show that he acted with good faith, and without malice, must be received. ..."

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