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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

malefactor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • măʹləfăk'tər (US)
  • /ˈmæləˌfæktɚ/ (US)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English malefactour, from Late Latin malefactor, from Latin malefaciō, from male (“evilly”) + factus (“made or done”), past participle of facio (“to make or do”).

Meanings

  1. A criminal or felon.
  2. An evildoer.
    • ‘Pull yourself together, Bradshaw,’ said the lawyer. ‘This suspense, I know, is telling upon all of you; but it is now our intention to make an end of it. Poole, here, and I are going to force our way into the cabinet. If all is well, my shoulders are broad enough to bear the blame. Meanwhile, lest anything should really be amiss, or any malefactor seek to escape by the back, you and the boy must go round the corner with a pair of good sticks, and take your post at the laboratory door. 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Last Night”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 80:
    • Though your unseen malefactor’s actions may give the impression of confidence… Vaermina suspects he is terrified his plan will go astray. 2013, Kazerad, Katia: Try a few more things, in: Prequel -or- Making a Cat Cry: The Adventure (webcomic), April 23 2013

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
malefactour alternative lexicographic
malefactors Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

benefactor

Deriveds

malefactress · malefactee

Relateds

maleficent

Translations (53)

ro răufăcător (evildoer) · uk зловми́сник (evildoer) · ar شِرِّير (evildoer) · be зламы́снік (evildoer) · uk зловми́сниця (evildoer) · be ліхадзе́йка (evildoer) · ru злоде́йка (evildoer) · es malhechora (evildoer) · gd eucoireach (evildoer) · de Übeltäterin (evildoer) · bg злоде́й (evildoer) · cmn 壞人 /坏人 (evildoer) · es maleante (evildoer) · be ліхадзе́й (evildoer) · mk зло́чинец (evildoer) · mk зло́сторник (evildoer) · it malfattrice (evildoer) · bg злосто́рник (evildoer) · grc κακοῦργος (evildoer) · de Übeltäter (evildoer) · ca malfactor (evildoer) · fr malfaiteur (evildoer) · sh zlȍtvor (evildoer) · fr malfaitrice (evildoer) · de Malefaktor (evildoer) · ga bithiúnach (evildoer) · be зламы́сніца (evildoer) · ru злоумы́шленница (evildoer) · eo aĉfaranto (evildoer) · ru злоумы́шленник (evildoer) · es malhechor (evildoer) · uk лиході́й (evildoer) · fa بدکار (evildoer) · pt malfeitor (evildoer) · mfe malfeter (evildoer) · sh зло̏твор (evildoer) · ru злоде́й (evildoer) · uk лиході́йка (evildoer) · it malfattore (evildoer) · pt malfeitora (evildoer) · is illvirki (evildoer) · es facineroso (evildoer) · fi pahantekijä (evildoer) · es malfechor (disused) (evildoer) · ro răufăcătoare (evildoer) · eo malbonfaranto (evildoer) · bg злоде́йка (evildoer) · bg злосто́рница (evildoer) · ko 악인 (evildoer) · pl złoczyńca (evildoer) · cmn 惡人 /恶人 (evildoer) · ja 悪人 (evildoer) · la malefactor (evildoer)