# malice

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmælɪs/ · frequency rank #18,617

## Definitions
1. Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
2. An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

## Etymology
From Middle English malice, borrowed from Old French malice, from Latin malitia (“badness, bad quality, ill-will, spite”), from malus (“bad”).

## Easily confused with
- **mice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-mice)
- **Marie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-marie)
- **Malik** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-malik)
- **manic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-manic)
- **Matic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-matic)
- **Mamie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-mamie)
- **Malin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-malin)
- **marine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-marine)
- **Malone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-malone)
- **Maxine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-maxine)
- **malign** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-malign)
- **moline** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-moline)
- **Maurice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malice-vs-maurice)
- **male** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-malice)
- **Mali** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mali-vs-malice)
- **mace** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mace-vs-malice)
- **magic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/magic-vs-malice)
- **Maine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maine-vs-malice)
- **maize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maize-vs-malice)
- **Malia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malia-vs-malice)

## Common misspellings (8)
`amlice`, `mailce`, `malcie`, `malicce`, `maliec`, `mallice`, `mlaice`, `mmalice`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/malice