What does maledict mean?
A malediction is a curse: a spoken or written expression of a wish that harm, misfortune, or destruction will come to someone. The word carries a strong literary and dramatic quality, often suggesting a solemn appeal or an inherited sense of doom rather than an ordinary expression of anger. It can also refer figuratively to a severe adversity that seems like a curse, such as a family burden or an event interpreted as disastrous by a community. In modern usage, malediction is more likely to appear in formal writing, historical narration, or descriptions of curses than in casual speech. Its word-family form, maledict, can be used as a verb meaning to curse or pronounce a malediction upon someone. The term derives from Latin and is related to other English words formed around the idea of speaking evil or harm against another person.
A word or utterance intended to bring harm or misfortune upon someone; a curse.
"The inscription contained a malediction against anyone who disturbed the tomb."
Literary and formal; often used in historical, religious, or dramatic contexts.
To curse someone; to pronounce a malediction against someone.
"They maledict the enemies who had abandoned the village."
Rare and literary in contemporary English; the form is often encountered in historical texts or stylized prose.
The plural is used when referring to multiple curses or expressions of harmful wishes.
"The old stories spoke of maledictions against anyone who broke the vow."
A malediction turns a wish for misfortune into language, making the curse itself the weapon.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does maledict come from?
The word comes through Old French from Latin maledictio, a noun formed from maledictus, meaning 'spoken against' or 'cursed.' Its components relate to male, meaning 'bad' or 'evil,' and dicere, meaning 'to say.' The English noun developed in the Middle English period, while the related verb maledict continued the older sense of pronouncing a curse against someone.
Related word forms
How maledict is actually used
Literary and somewhat archaic in modern English. It is more common in serious, dramatic, or historical prose than in everyday conversation; in figurative use, it often conveys a sense of doom or a seemingly unavoidable curse.
Easily confused with maledict
A malediction is a curse or harmful wish, whereas malpractice is an improper or negligent professional practice.