Etymology

malpractice

M3A1L1P3R1A1C3T1I1C3E1

Today it means: The improper treatment of a patient by a physician that results in injury or loss. Full definition →

English practice ← Middle English practice, practique, practyse ← Middle French practiser, pratiser
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)molos?
  3. Proto-Italic*malos
  4. Latinmalus
  5. Latinmale
  6. Old Frenchmal-
  7. Englishmal-
  8. Medieval Latinprācticō
  9. Middle Frenchpratiquer
  10. Middle Frenchpractiser, pratiser
  11. Middle Englishpracticen, practisen, practizen, practysen
  12. Middle Englishpractice, practique, practyse
  13. Englishpractice
  14. English todaymalpractice

From mal- + practice.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.