Which prefix means 'evil, ill, bad, badly'?

• A. Mal-
• B. Male-
• C. De-
• D. Se-

Answer: (B)

Negative meaning in prefixes comes from Latin malus, meaning bad or evil. In English you’ll see two spellings of that idea: mal- and its variant male-. The form male- shows up in words that emphasize harm or wickedness, such as malevolent (evil in intent) and malefactor (an evil-doer). That strong negative sense is why this prefix is the best match for “evil, ill, bad, badly.” Other prefixes here don’t convey that moral sense: de- means undoing or removal, se- means apart or away, so they don’t signal badness the way this negative prefix does. Remember that mal- and male- are related, both tracing back to the idea of bad, with male- appearing in some common negative terms.