maleficence

[muh-lef-uh-suhns] Origin

ma·lef·i·cence

[muh-lef-uh-suhns]
noun
1.
the doing of evil or harm: the maleficence of thieves.
2.
the quality or state of being maleficent or harmful.

Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin maleficentia. See malefic, -ence
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Maleficence is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
maleficent (məˈlɛfɪsənt)
 
adj
causing or capable of producing evil or mischief; harmful or baleful
 
[C17: from Latin maleficent-, from maleficus wicked, prone to evil, from malum evil]
 
ma'lefic
 
adj
 
ma'leficence
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

maleficence
1590s, from L. maleficentia, from maleficus (see malefic).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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