Malum Meaning in English

word

US

UK

Definition

'Malum' is a rare English word borrowed directly from Latin, meaning a wrong, harm, or evil act. It is mostly used in legal, philosophical, or academic contexts.

Usage & Nuances

Highly formal and rare; used mainly in legal or scholarly writing, with terms like 'malum in se' (inherently wrong) and 'malum prohibitum' (wrong because prohibited). Not used in everyday speech. Often italicized or left untranslated in English texts.

• Spanish: malum (latinismo; daño) - mal (raro)
• Portuguese (BR): malum (termo latino; dano) - mal (raro)
• Portuguese (PT): malum (termo latino; dano) - mal (raro)
• Chinese (Simplified): malum（拉丁语，恶事）
• Chinese (Traditional): malum（拉丁語，惡事）
• Hindi: malum (लैटिन; बुरा/हानि, दुर्लभ)
• Arabic: malum (لاتيني؛ ضرر)
• Bengali: অপরাধ - ক্ষতি - অনৈতিক কাজ
• Russian: злодеяние - зло - правонарушение
• Japanese: 悪事 - 不正行為
• Vietnamese: hành vi sai trái - hành động ác - hành động gây hại
• Korean: 악행 - 불법 행위
• Turkish: kötülük - zarar - suç
• Urdu: بُرا عمل - نقصان - گناہ
• Indonesian: perbuatan jahat - tindakan salah - kejahatan

Example Sentences

The judge discussed the difference between malum in se and malum prohibitum.

basic

Some actions are considered malum because they harm others.

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In philosophy, the term malum is discussed in relation to morality.

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You won't find people using malum in everyday conversation—it's mostly for law textbooks.

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The law distinguishes between malum acts and those that are not.

basic

Many legal scholars debate what exactly counts as malum in se.

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