[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/malpractice/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [M](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/m/) / malpractice

# malpractice

noun (malpractice, uncountable; malpractices – rare)

«malpractice» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (law) When a doctor, lawyer or other professional does their job very badly or carelessly, and someone is harmed because of it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#m1)
2. (formal) Wrong or dishonest behaviour in a job, such as cheating in exams or misusing money. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#m2)

### In the lessons

In news and adult life, «medical malpractice» means a doctor's serious mistake that harms a patient, and the patient may take them to court. In schools in the UK, «exam malpractice» means cheating in exams, like copying or having a phone in the exam room; it can cancel your results. Phrases: «medical malpractice», «exam malpractice», «sued for malpractice».

### Examples

- Taking a phone into an exam counts as malpractice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x1)
- The hospital investigated a case of malpractice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x2)
- The doctor was sued for malpractice after the wrong operation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x3)
- Exam malpractice can mean losing all your marks for that subject. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x4)
- The lawyer was accused of malpractice for losing the client's money. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x5)
- Our teacher read out the rules about exam malpractice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x6)
- Most doctors are very careful, and malpractice is rare. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x7)
- Copying from a friend's paper is malpractice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/#x8)

### Note

Usually uncountable: «some malpractice», «a case of malpractice». «Mal-» means bad. It is a formal word. Not the same as an ordinary mistake: malpractice means a professional did not take proper care. Not a maths word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «malpractice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/malpractice/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«malpractice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/malpractice.html) on Mova free.