malice

/ˈmælɪs/
noun
  1. The intention or desire to do harm or cause suffering to someone else.
    • His eyes glittered with malice as he watched his opponent stumble.
    • She spread the rumor out of pure malice, hoping to hurt her rival's reputation.
    • The letter was filled with malice, accusing the teacher of things she never did.
  2. In law, the deliberate intention to commit a wrongful act without legal justification.
    • The prosecutor had to prove malice to win the case for defamation.
    • The judge explained that without malice, the act might be considered an accident.
    • Malice is a key element in proving certain types of criminal intent.