malafide

M3A1L1A1F4I1D2E1
US/ˌmɑːlə ˈfaɪdi/US/ˌmælə ˈfaɪdi/

adjective

In bad faith.

OriginLatin malā fidē →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivemalafide (not comparable)
  1. Indianot comparablelawIn bad faith.

    Soutik Banerjee, an advocate assisting Mr. Shah’s legal team, describes the ruling as a positive development, writing in a statement that it “exemplifies that there has been arbitrary and malafide use of extraordinary laws against Fahad. … Only time will tell if UAPA charges will also apply.”

    2023, Srishti Jaswal, Monitor reporter’s trial opens: Why India treats journalists as terrorists, in: The Christian Science Monitor, April 19 2023
nounmalafide (plural malafides)

plural malafides

  1. IndialawSomething done in bad faith.

Origin

  1. Latinmalā fidē“in bad faith”
  2. Englishmalafide

Univerbation of mala fide, from Latin malā fidē (“in bad faith”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

malafide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malafide

MLA

“malafide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malafide. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “malafide,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malafide.

Source: malafide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.