noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmælədˌmɪnɪˈstɹeɪʃn̩/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌmælədˌmɪnəˈstɹeɪʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
1
noun
Meaning 1
Faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; (countable) an instance of this.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: government
Examples
Near-synonyms: mismanagement, misgovernance
To combat maladministration and improve government efficiency, the ombudsman was established to function as an independent watchdog.
An act of incorrectly administering a religious rite; also, a religious group that permits such a practice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
PIE word *h2éd From mal- (prefix meaning ‘bad; badly’) + administration.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
سُوء إدَارَة
(sūʔ ʔidāra)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Chinese Mandarin:
秕政
(bǐzhèng)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Chinese Mandarin:
失政
(shīzhèng)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Finnish:
virkavirhe
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
French:
maladministration
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
French:
prévarication
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
German:
Misswirtschaft
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Greek:
κακοδιοίκηση
(kakodioíkisi)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Hungarian:
hivatali visszaélés
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Icelandic:
óráðsía
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Italian:
malamministrazione
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Japanese:
悪政
(akusei)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Japanese:
秕政
(hisei)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Japanese:
失政
(shissei)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Malayalam:
ദുർഭരണം
(duṟbharaṇaṁ)
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
Scottish Gaelic:
mì-riaghladaireachd
— faulty, improper, or inefficient administration or management, especially by a government body; an instance of this
