malversation

From French malversation, from malverser, from Latin male versari (“behave badly”). Compare Spanish malversación (“embezzlement”).

• IPA^(key): /mælvəˈseɪʃən/

malversation (countable and uncountable, plural malversations)

1. corrupt behaviour, illegitimate activity, especially by someone in authority
   • 1549, chapter XIX, in The Complaynt of Scotland:

     the euyl exempil of ther maluersatione prouokyt the pepil til adhere to vice & to detest vertu.

   • 1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 548

     The Decreet was for Sallary, and it was offered to be proven, that Rue (for his Malverſation) was by warrand from General Monk, excluded from Collection that year.

   • 1923, Powys Mathers, transl., The Thousand Nights and One Night:

     The walī looked angrily on my brother, saying: ‘Shameless ill-doer, it is quite clear from these marks upon your back that you have practised every sort of crime and malversation.’

   • 1935, T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral, Part I:

     I see nothing quite conclusive in the art of temporal government,
     But violence, duplicity and frequent malversation.

From malverser +‎ -ation, from Latin male (“badly”) versari (“behave”).

• IPA^(key): /mal.vɛʁ.sa.sjɔ̃/

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malversation f (plural malversations)

1. malversation, corruption

• “malversation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.