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Preferred term

malpractice  

Definition

  • Malpractice is a legal concept used to indicate that someone in the practice of their professional role engaged, either by omission or commission, in conduct that is unacceptable by professional standards; it is legally regarded as an appropriate basis for awarding damages to another who was harmed by that behavior. The term malpractice comes from a combination of a Latin word and a Greek word; “mal” is from the Latin malum, meaning an evil, and “practice” is from the Greek praxis, an action; thus, malpractice means an evil action. [Source: Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide; Malpractice]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/malpractice

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