malice
B2Formal to neutral. Common in legal, literary, and journalistic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The intention or desire to do evil or cause harm to someone.
Often implies a deep-seated, often unjustified, ill will, distinct from momentary anger or irritation. It suggests a deliberate wish to see another suffer or to cause injury.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Central to the concept is premeditation and ill-will. It's a state of mind rather than an action. Often contrasted with accidental harm or negligence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Both use the term frequently in legal contexts (e.g., 'malice aforethought').
Connotations
Slightly more literary/formal in everyday British use. In American legal discourse, 'actual malice' is a specific standard in defamation law regarding knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both dialects within formal registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
bear ~ towards sbdo sth out of ~with ~ aforethoughtharbour ~eyes full of ~Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “with malice aforethought (legal)”
- “bear someone malice”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in legal contexts (e.g., 'acted without malice' in a dispute).
Academic
Common in law, philosophy (ethics), psychology, and literary criticism to describe motive.
Everyday
Used to describe deliberate nastiness or cruelty in personal conflicts.
Technical
A key term in criminal law (mens rea) and US defamation law.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'Malice' is a noun. The verb form is 'malign'.
American English
- N/A - 'Malice' is a noun. The verb form is 'malign'.
adverb
British English
- He smiled maliciously as he revealed the secret.
- The software was maliciously designed to corrupt data.
American English
- She gossiped maliciously about her former friend.
- The files were maliciously deleted by a hacker.
adjective
British English
- The malicious rumours spread quickly through the village.
- He was sued for malicious prosecution.
American English
- It was a malicious act of vandalism, not a simple prank.
- She was accused of making malicious statements online.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The story is about a witch who acts with malice.
- There was no malice in his criticism; he was just trying to help.
- The letter was clearly written with malice, intended to cause her distress.
- The prosecution must prove the defendant acted with malice aforethought to secure a murder conviction.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of MALICE as MAL-ICE: 'Mal' means bad (like in malfunction, malcontent), and 'ice' suggests a cold, hard, calculated feeling.
Conceptual Metaphor
MALICE IS A POISON / MALICE IS A WEAPON / MALICE IS A BURDEN (to bear/harbour).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'злоба' (spite, anger) which can be more momentary. 'Malice' implies more calculation. The closer conceptual fit is 'злонамеренность' or 'злой умысел'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for general anger ('He shouted in malice' - incorrect unless premeditated cruelty is proven).
- Confusing it with 'malicious', the adjective form.
- Pronouncing it as /məˈliːs/ (like 'police').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the legal term 'malice aforethought' most precisely used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Malice' is broader, suggesting a general desire to harm. 'Spite' often implies a petty, mean-minded motivation, sometimes arising from hurt pride or frustration.
Yes, absolutely. It's common in literature and everyday language to describe someone's cruel or harmful intentions (e.g., 'He said it with pure malice').
Yes, it is exclusively negative. It describes an intention to cause evil, harm, or injury.
It means without the intention to cause harm or offence. It suggests an action, even if critical or damaging, was done with good or neutral intent.