different between iniquity vs malice

English

Etymology

From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin in?quit?s (“iniquity; inequality, unfairness; inequity, injustice”), from in?quus (“unequal, uneven, unfair; disadvantageous, unfavourable; hostile, unkind; unsuitable; wicked, wrong”) + -it?s (variant of -t?s (suffix forming a noun indicating a state of being)). In?quus is derived from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + aequus (“equal; fair, impartial, just”). Compare inequity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n??kw?ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?n??kw?ti/, /-kw?-/, [-?i]
• Hyphenation: in?i?qui?ty

Noun

iniquity (countable and uncountable, plural iniquities)

1. (uncountable) Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.
2. (countable) An act of great injustice or unfairness; a sinful or wicked act; an unconscionable deed.

Usage notes

The words iniquity and inequity overlap in meaning and have cognate roots, but their usage is differentiated by degree of evil (degree of harm that is large, intentional, or both), as follows: iniquity emphasizes evil, whereas inequity can neutrally describe injustice or unfairness even if it is not extreme or does not stem from conscious intent.

Alternative forms

• iniquitie (obsolete)

Derived terms

• iniquitous
• iniquitously
• iniquitousness

Translations

References

Further reading

• iniquity (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French malice, from Latin malitia (“badness, bad quality, ill-will, spite”), from malus (“bad”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?l'?s, IPA^(key): /?mæl?s/

Noun

malice (usually uncountable, plural malices)

1. Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.
   • 1981, Philip K. Dick, Valis, ?ISBN, page 67:

     […] not only was there no gratitude (which he could psychologically handle) but downright malice showed itself instead.

2. (law) An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

Synonyms

• (intention to harm): evilness, ill will, wickedness

Derived terms

• malicious

Related terms

• malady

Translations

Further reading

• malice in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• malice in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Verb

malice (third-person singular simple present malices, present participle malicing, simple past and past participle maliced)

1. To intend to cause harm; to bear malice.

Synonyms

• envy (obsolete), grudge (obsolete), spite

Anagrams

• amelic, claime, maleic

Esperanto

Etymology

From malico +? -e.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma?lit?se/
• Hyphenation: ma?lic?e
• Rhymes: -it?se

Adverb

malice

1. maliciously

French

Etymology

From Old French malice, borrowed from Latin malitia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.lis/

Noun

malice f (plural malices)

1. mischief
2. malice

Related terms

• mal

References

• “malice” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Further reading

• “malice” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin malitia.

Noun

malice f (oblique plural malices, nominative singular malice, nominative plural malices)

1. malice, evilness, evil intentions
2. malicious act

Descendants

• French: malice

References

• malice on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub