English word malice comes from Proto-Indo-European *moy-, and later Latin peior (Worse.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *moy- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *mol(w)ə- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to grind, mill |
| peior | Latin (lat) | Worse. |
| malitia | Latin (lat) | A bad quality; badness, wicked. Cunning, artfulness. Spite, malice; an act of malice. |
| malice | English (en) | (law) An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.. Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune. |