What is the word for knowingly doing something wrong?

Asked by: Al Davis PhD  |  Last update: January 21, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (65 votes)

malfeasance. n. intentionally doing something either legally or morally wrong which one had no right to do. It always involves dishonesty, illegality or knowingly exceeding authority for improper reasons.

What is the word for purposely doing something wrong?

Malice is the intention to cause harm. If someone feels malice toward you, look out! They've got bad intentions. Just like the Spanish mal, this is a word for badness or evil. Malice isn't just any evil, though: it's evil done intentionally by someone seeking to do harm.

What is the word for knowingly doing wrong?

aback abruptly accidentally by accident by mistake by surprise carelessly ignorantly inadvertently mistakenly off guard sudden surprisingly unconsciously unexpectedly unintentionally unprepared unready unwittingly.

What is a synonym for knowingly deliberately?

Synonyms of 'knowingly' in British English

The fire was started deliberately. purposely. They are purposely withholding information. consciously. intentionally.

What is the word for intentionally wrong?

Denotes deception or a deliberate attempt to be dishonest. deceitful. deceptive. devious. dishonest.

What Does "knowingly" Mean? Unlocking Its Pronunciation Secrets!

23 related questions found

What is it called when you intentionally do something wrong?

malfeasance. n. intentionally doing something either legally or morally wrong which one had no right to do. It always involves dishonesty, illegality or knowingly exceeding authority for improper reasons.

What is it called when you intentionally use the wrong word?

The definition of malapropism

The word “malapropism” means “to use a word that sounds like the intended word but in the wrong context.” 1 So if you use a word that sounds similar to another word incorrectly, that's a malapropism.

What is it called when you purposely do something?

done on purpose (adjective as in intentional) Strongest matches. calculated premeditated voluntary willful.

What is a synonym for willful action?

Some common synonyms of willful are headstrong, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, ungovernable, and unruly. While all these words mean "not submissive to government or control," willful implies an obstinate determination to have one's own way. a willful disregard for the rights of others.

What is a word for knowingly?

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knowingly. intentionally. deliberately. purposely.

What is another word for doing something wrong?

backslide cheat deviate err fall lapse misbehave misconduct offend stray transgress trespass wander.

What does willfully wrong mean?

Definition: Willful wrong is a type of intentional wrong in which the person committing the wrong had the intention, purpose, or design to do so. It is a violation of another person's legal right or breach of legal duty.

What is it called when you admit to doing something wrong?

admit (to a wrongdoing) “She confessed that she had taken the money” synonyms: concede, profess. types: fess up, make a clean breast of, own up.

What is a deliberate mistake?

Violations or deliberate mistakes are departures or deviation from what is expected behaviour or written instructions in policies and procedures. People don't want to deviate, but they sometimes do, as they have a desire to get the job done, as best they can with the current circumstances.

What is the analogy for doing something wrong?

Drop the Ball. Meaning: To make a mistake or fail to do something important. In a Sentence: He dropped the ball on the group project. Other Ways to Say: Mess up.

What is a synonym for intentionally deceptive?

artifice, beguilement, blarney, cheat, circumvention, cozenage, craftiness, cunning, deceitfulness, deceptiveness, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, equivocation, flimflam, fraudulence, guile, hokum, imposition, insincerity, juggling, legerdemain, pretense, prevarication, sophism, treason, trickiness, trumpery.

What is a synonym for deliberately act?

deliberately
  • consciously.
  • knowingly.
  • pointedly.
  • purposely.
  • studiously.
  • voluntarily.
  • willfully.

What is a synonym for spontaneous action?

The synonyms of the word 'Spontaneous' are "impulsive, random, instinctive". From the synonym of the given word, we can say that the word 'impulsive' is the same in meaning. The word 'impulsive' means acting or done without forethought.

What is a synonym for vindictive action?

cruel malicious merciless resentful retaliatory ruthless spiteful unforgiving vengeful.

What is a synonym for intentionally on purpose?

with full awareness of what one is doing the witness intentionally gave misleading answers to the questions. deliberately. purposely. purposefully. willfully.

What is the act of doing something intentionally?

An intentional act is a voluntary action that is done on purpose. It is an occurrence that results from a person's will being exerted on the external world. For example, if someone intentionally hits another person, it is considered an intentional act.

What does it mean to do something consciously?

When you do something consciously, you do it on purpose, after thinking seriously about it. A kindergarten teacher might consciously choose a soothing book to calm his class down at story time. If you do something instinctively or automatically, you're not consciously choosing to do it — it's just happening.

What is malapropism?

noun. mal·​a·​prop·​ism ˈma-lə-ˌprä-ˌpi-zəm. 1. : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase. especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context.

What is it called when you say one word but mean another?

A person with aphasia may have difficulty with: Speaking out loud. They may speak in short or incomplete sentences. Say words that don't make sense. Say one word when they mean another.

What is the word for doing something wrong unintentionally?

unintentional (adjective as in not planned) Strongest matches. accidental inadvertent involuntary random unexpected unforeseen unintended unplanned. Weak matches. aimless casual chance erratic extemporaneous fortuitous haphazard purposeless unconscious undesigned undevised unpremeditated unthinking unthought unwitting.