Question:
Given below are a few commonly used foreign language phrases, select the correct answer from the four options given below.
Mala fide
Given below are a few commonly used foreign language phrases, select the correct answer from the four options given below.
Mala fide
Mala fide
Show Hint
Break the phrase in two: "mala" is the root of malice, and "fide" means faith. Its opposite, bona fide, means in good faith.
Updated On: Jul 17, 2026
- generous
- bad intention
- trustworthy
- genuine
Show Solution
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question.
We are given the Latin phrase "mala fide" and asked which of the four English expressions carries its meaning. This is a vocabulary question about legal Latin, so the safest route is to break the phrase into its two words.
Step 2: Key Approach.
Split the phrase. "Mala" comes from the Latin "malus", meaning bad or evil, the same root that gives English words like malice, malignant and malpractice. "Fide" comes from "fides", meaning faith or trust, the root of fidelity and confide. Put the two together and "mala fide" literally means "in bad faith".
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
In law, an act is said to be mala fide when it is done with a dishonest purpose, with intent to deceive or to cheat, and not by honest mistake. Its opposite is "bona fide", which means in good faith or genuine. Courts use the pair constantly, for example when deciding whether an official exercised a power for the purpose it was given or for some ulterior motive.
Among the four choices, only "bad intention" captures the idea of a dishonest state of mind, so option (B) is right.
Step 4: Why the other options are wrong.
Option (A) "generous" describes a giving nature and has nothing to do with faith or honesty.
Option (C) "trustworthy" is close to the meaning of "fides" on its own, but it ignores "mala", which reverses the sense. This is the trap option for anyone who recognises only half the phrase.
Option (D) "genuine" is the meaning of "bona fide", the exact opposite of the phrase asked about.
Final Answer:
Mala fide means in bad faith, that is, with bad intention. The answer is option (B).
We are given the Latin phrase "mala fide" and asked which of the four English expressions carries its meaning. This is a vocabulary question about legal Latin, so the safest route is to break the phrase into its two words.
Step 2: Key Approach.
Split the phrase. "Mala" comes from the Latin "malus", meaning bad or evil, the same root that gives English words like malice, malignant and malpractice. "Fide" comes from "fides", meaning faith or trust, the root of fidelity and confide. Put the two together and "mala fide" literally means "in bad faith".
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
In law, an act is said to be mala fide when it is done with a dishonest purpose, with intent to deceive or to cheat, and not by honest mistake. Its opposite is "bona fide", which means in good faith or genuine. Courts use the pair constantly, for example when deciding whether an official exercised a power for the purpose it was given or for some ulterior motive.
Among the four choices, only "bad intention" captures the idea of a dishonest state of mind, so option (B) is right.
Step 4: Why the other options are wrong.
Option (A) "generous" describes a giving nature and has nothing to do with faith or honesty.
Option (C) "trustworthy" is close to the meaning of "fides" on its own, but it ignores "mala", which reverses the sense. This is the trap option for anyone who recognises only half the phrase.
Option (D) "genuine" is the meaning of "bona fide", the exact opposite of the phrase asked about.
Final Answer:
Mala fide means in bad faith, that is, with bad intention. The answer is option (B).
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