Maliciousness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Malicious \Ma*li"cious\, a. [Of. malicius, F. malicieux, fr. L.
     malitiosus. See {Malice}.]
     1. Indulging or exercising malice; harboring ill will or
        enmity.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              I grant him bloody, . . .
              Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
              That has a name.                      --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Proceeding from hatred or ill will; dictated by malice;
        as, a malicious report; malicious mischief.
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     3. (Law) With wicked or mischievous intentions or motives;
        wrongful and done intentionally without just cause or
        excuse; as, a malicious act.
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     {Malicious abandonment}, the desertion of a wife or husband
        without just cause. --Burrill.
  
     {Malicious prosecution} or {Malicious arrest} (Law), a wanton
        prosecution or arrest, by regular process in a civil or
        criminal proceeding, without probable cause. --Bouvier.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Ill-disposed; evil-minded; mischievous; envious;
          malevolent; invidious; spiteful; bitter; malignant;
          rancorous; malign.
          [1913 Webster] -- {Ma*li"cious*ly}, adv. --
          {Ma*li"cious*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  maliciousness
       n : feeling a need to see others suffer [syn: {malice}, {spite},
            {spitefulness}, {venom}]