From Latin 'malitia' (badness), from 'malus' (bad) — one of the most productive negative roots in English.
The intention or desire to do evil or cause harm.
From Old French 'malice' (wickedness, ill intent, spite), from Latin 'malitia' (badness, wickedness, ill will, a bad quality), from 'malus' (bad, wicked, harmful, ugly), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- or *mal- (of evil quality, wrong, dirty) — though some linguists prefer to relate it to a root meaning 'small, slight' (underlying Greek 'malacos,' soft, weak). 'Malus' is one of the most productive negative roots in the Latin and English vocabulary: 'malevolent' (wishing evil — from 'malus' + 'velle,' to wish), 'malicious' (characterised by malice), 'malady' (a bad condition, a disease), 'malcontent' (one who is discontented), 'malfunction' (a bad functioning), 'malware' (malicious software), 'malediction' (an evil-speaking, a curse — from 'malus' + 'dicere,' to speak), 'malefactor' (an evil-doer), 'malpractice' (bad professional practice), 'malign' (to speak ill of — from 'malignus,' of bad birth or nature), 'malignant' (tending toward evil, in medicine toward uncontrolled growth), and 'malaria' (bad air — from Italian 'mala aria,' the miasmatic theory of the disease).