DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
mal·ice n.
1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil. “Nor set down aught in malice.”
Envy, hatred, and malice are three distinct passions of the mind. --Ld. Holt.
2. Law Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness.
Malice aforethought or Malice prepense, malice previously and deliberately entertained.
Syn: -- Spite; ill will; malevolence; grudge; pique; bitterness; animosity; malignity; maliciousness; rancor; virulence.
Usage: See Spite. -- Malevolence, Malignity, Malignancy. Malice is a stronger word than malevolence, which may imply only a desire that evil may befall another, while malice desires, and perhaps intends, to bring it about. Malignity is intense and deepseated malice. It implies a natural delight in hating and wronging others. One who is malignant must be both malevolent and malicious; but a man may be malicious without being malignant.
Proud tyrants who maliciously destroy
And ride o'er ruins with malignant joy. --Somerville.
in some connections, malignity seems rather more pertinently applied to a radical depravity of nature, and malignancy to indications of this depravity, in temper and conduct in particular instances. --Cogan.
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malice aforethought
n : (law) criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a
wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is
illegal); often at issue in murder trials [syn: mens rea]