# malus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmeɪ.ləs/ · frequency rank #76,096

## Definitions
1. The loss or return of performance-related compensation originally paid by an employer to an employee as a result of the discovery of a defect in the performance.
2. A penalty or negative thing.

## Etymology
From Latin malus, by analogy with bonus (“additional compensation”). Doublet of mal.

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