malefactor
/ˈmæləˌfæktə/MA-luh-fak-tur
/ˈmæləˌfæktɚ/MA-luh-fak-tur
Meaninga bad doer
Common meaning: a person who does wrong
- malebad; badlyLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1104 · scan
- factto make; to cause to happenLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 716 · scan
- oragent ending: the doer, or the device that does it
‘bad’ + ‘to make’ → malefactor
Journey through time
- male — Latin malus; male “bad; badly” (path traced)
- fact — Latin faciō, fēcī, factum “to make; to cause to happen” (path traced)
Parts join in Latin as malefactor.
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin malus; male ‘bad’ and Latin faciō ‘to make’.
Roots
- faciō, fēcī, factum Latin “to make; to cause to happen”
- malus; male Latin “bad; badly”
Related words
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