Definition of "malice"

[…] not only was there no gratitude (which he could psychologically handle) but downright malice showed itself instead.

1981, Philip K. Dick, Valis, page 67

The question that would have been before the jury was whether Fox committed “actual malice” in airing the claims. That required Dominion to show whether key decision makers were aware the claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

2023 April 18, Sam Levine, Kira Lerner, “Fox and Dominion settle for US$787.5m in defamation lawsuit over election lies”, in The Guardian‎

Thou blinded God (quod I) forgive me this offence, / Unwittingly I went about, to malice thy pretence.

1557, Henry Howard, “Complaint of a lover that defied Love and was by Love after the more tormented”, in Songes and Sonettes

Who on the other ſide did ſeeme ſo farre / From malicing, or grudging his good houre, / That, all he could, he graced him with her, / Ne euer ſhewed ſigne of rancour or of iarre.

1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, page 477

His paines, his pouertie, his ſharpe aſſayes, / Through which he paſt his miſerable dayes, / Offending none, and doing good to all, / Yet being maliſt both of great and ſmall.

1596, Edm[und] Spenser, “An Hymne of Heavenly Love”, in Fovvre Hymnes, London: VVilliam Ponsonby, page 32

I am so far from malicing their states, / That I begin to pity 'em.

1599, Ben Jonson, Every Man out of His Humour, act 5, scene 2

A feeble spirited king that governed, / Who ill could guide the sceptre he did use; / His enemies, that his worth maliced, / Who both the land and him did much abuse: / The peoples love; and his apparent right, May seem sufficient motives to incite.

1609, Samuel Daniel, The History of the Civil Wars, book 5, verse 48

Here's a list of side effects / Practice tested / Covering every maliced angle / For example: / You will sleep forever / You will never sleep again

1995, Fugazi (lyrics and music), “Fell, Destroyed”, in Red Medicine, performed by Guy Picciotto

Robert Truswell may have been a belligerent and malicing man, a jury heard this morning during the trial of George Kieran Daunt.

2005 May 3, “'He was a mess,' woman says of accused”, in The Whitehorse Star‎

I haven't maliced anybody, definitely not. I never used to have friends like that. I had a few who I thought were friends. Even if you have friends, things happen and friendship break up, but you move on. But I still talk to everybody.

2018 May 14, Kimberley Small, quoting Marion Hall, “Dancehall was contentious, says Marion Hall”, in The Jamaica Star‎