"malefit" meaning in English

See malefit in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: malefits [plural]
Etymology: Attested from 1700s. Learned borrowing from Latin malefit, modeled on benefit. Equivalent to French malfaire. Etymology templates: {{lbor|en|la|malefit}} Learned borrowing from Latin malefit Head templates: {{en-noun}} malefit (plural malefits)
  1. A detriment or disadvantage Synonyms: encumbrance, hindrance, nuisance, obstacle, drawback
    Sense id: en-malefit-en-noun-qZ7ZG61e Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "malefit"
      },
      "expansion": "Learned borrowing from Latin malefit",
      "name": "lbor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Attested from 1700s. Learned borrowing from Latin malefit, modeled on benefit. Equivalent to French malfaire.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "malefits",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "malefit (plural malefits)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "benefit"
        },
        {
          "word": "advantage"
        },
        {
          "word": "aid"
        },
        {
          "word": "assistance"
        },
        {
          "word": "boon"
        },
        {
          "word": "foredeal"
        },
        {
          "word": "help"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              84,
              92
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2013, Lawrence Kamm, Radical Ideas:",
          "text": "However, if there are elements of similarity or dissimilarity, such as benefits and malefits to mankind, it can be useful to make such a comparison even if it cannot be made quantitatively.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A detriment or disadvantage"
      ],
      "id": "en-malefit-en-noun-qZ7ZG61e",
      "links": [
        [
          "detriment",
          "detriment"
        ],
        [
          "disadvantage",
          "disadvantage"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "encumbrance"
        },
        {
          "word": "hindrance"
        },
        {
          "word": "nuisance"
        },
        {
          "word": "obstacle"
        },
        {
          "word": "drawback"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "malefit"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "malefit"
      },
      "expansion": "Learned borrowing from Latin malefit",
      "name": "lbor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Attested from 1700s. Learned borrowing from Latin malefit, modeled on benefit. Equivalent to French malfaire.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "malefits",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "malefit (plural malefits)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "benefit"
        },
        {
          "word": "advantage"
        },
        {
          "word": "aid"
        },
        {
          "word": "assistance"
        },
        {
          "word": "boon"
        },
        {
          "word": "foredeal"
        },
        {
          "word": "help"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English learned borrowings from Latin",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms borrowed from Latin",
        "English terms derived from Latin",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 2 entries",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              84,
              92
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2013, Lawrence Kamm, Radical Ideas:",
          "text": "However, if there are elements of similarity or dissimilarity, such as benefits and malefits to mankind, it can be useful to make such a comparison even if it cannot be made quantitatively.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A detriment or disadvantage"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "detriment",
          "detriment"
        ],
        [
          "disadvantage",
          "disadvantage"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "encumbrance"
        },
        {
          "word": "hindrance"
        },
        {
          "word": "nuisance"
        },
        {
          "word": "obstacle"
        },
        {
          "word": "drawback"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "malefit"
}

Download raw JSONL data for malefit meaning in English (1.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (0c45963 and 3c020d2). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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