malicia

malice

noun mah-LEE-syah Rare

Origin: From Latin malitia, from malus (bad).

Also means

wickedness

Usage Note

Malicia denotes deliberate ill intent rather than mere bad luck or incompetence—someone acts con malicia when they mean harm. A useful idiom is sin malicia, meaning 'without any ill intent,' often used to soften a blunt remark. The adjective malicioso and adverb maliciosamente share the same root.

Examples

"Actuó con malicia."

Natural Translation

He acted with malice.

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