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What does mal- mean in medical terms?
mal-
Meaning: bad, poor, abnormal
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what mal- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using mal-
malnutrition
mal- (poor) + nutrition (nourishment) = poor nourishment
mal- (poor) + nutrition (nourishment) = poor nourishment
malformation
mal- (abnormal) + formation (shaping) = abnormal formation of a structure
mal- (abnormal) + formation (shaping) = abnormal formation of a structure
malabsorption
mal- (poor) + absorption (soaking up) = poor absorption of nutrients
mal- (poor) + absorption (soaking up) = poor absorption of nutrients
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.