n. pl. mal·a·dies 1. A disease, disorder, or ailment. 2. An unwholesome condition: the malady of discontent. [Middle English maladie, from Old French, from malade, sick, from Latin male habitus, in poor condition : male, badly; see mel-3 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + habitus, past participle of habēre, to hold; see ghabh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.