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mal-

 - 3 dictionary results

mal-

 
Use mal- in a Sentence
a combining form meaning “bad,” “wrongful,” “ill,” occurring originally in loanwords from French (malapert); on this model, used in the formation of other words (malfunction; malcontent).
Compare male-.

Origin:
ME < OF, repr. mal adv. (< L male badly, ill) and adj. (< L malus bad)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To mal-
mal-  
pref.  

  1. Bad; badly: maladminister.

  2. Abnormal; abnormally: malformation.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, from male, badly, and malus, bad; see mel-3 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

mal- pref.

  1. Bad; badly: malpractice.

  2. Abnormal; abnormally: malformation.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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