- a person who engages in an act that is illegal, legally unjustified, or harmful, especially a public official or person in a position of public trust: We will not restore the people’s confidence with bland assurances that the malfeasants are mere outliers who will be punished.
- (especially of a public official or person in a position of public trust) engaging in an act that is illegal, legally unjustified, or harmful: This government zealously pursues malfeasant civil servants and prosecutes them.
