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maleficent

[ muh-lef-uh-suh nt ]

/ məˈlɛf ə sənt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR maleficent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

doing evil or harm; harmfully malicious: maleficent destroyers of reputations.

Origin of maleficent

1670–80; back formation from Latin maleficentia maleficence; see -ent

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH maleficent

maleficent malevolent

Words nearby maleficent

malefaction, malefactor, malefactress, malefic, maleficence, maleficent, malegaon, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, maleic hydrazide, malemute

Example sentences from the Web for maleficent

When you watched the movie all those years ago, were you wondering if there was more to Maleficent than we were seeing?

The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ |Kevin Fallon |June 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Maleficent is an iconic Disney villain and has her own fans because of her status as the bad guy.

The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ |Kevin Fallon |June 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
What were your first impressions of Maleficent when you first watched Sleeping Beauty?

The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ |Kevin Fallon |June 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Maleficent is, to me, the most interesting thing in the Disney feature.

The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ |Kevin Fallon |June 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Do that too reflexively (and for too long) and Maleficent is what you end up with.

The Ghastly ‘Maleficent’ and Why It’s Time For Hollywood to Kill the Dark Reboot |Andrew Romano |May 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Bower watched her face with a maleficent confidence that might have warned her had she seen it.

The Silent Barrier |Louis Tracy
So the Deity may be beneficent or maleficent, he cannot be moral or immoral.

Practical Essays |Alexander Bain
Hence she was feared, not exactly as a maleficent deity, but as one whose business is with what is most dreaded and gloomy.

American Hero-Myths |Daniel G. Brinton
In the case of great but maleficent genius the shortness of life is a priceless blessing.

The Map of Life |William Edward Hartpole Lecky
Here I have been considering nitrogen in its maleficent aspect, its use in war.

Creative Chemistry |Edwin E. Slosson

British Dictionary definitions for maleficent

maleficent

/ (məˈlɛfɪsənt) /

adjective

causing or capable of producing evil or mischief; harmful or baleful

Derived forms of maleficent

malefic, adjective maleficence, noun

Word Origin for maleficent

C17: from Latin maleficent-, from maleficus wicked, prone to evil, from malum evil