Misfatto

Misfatto is an Italian noun meaning a wrong or bad deed. It refers to an action judged as morally wrong or legally improper and can range from petty misdeeds to more serious offenses. In everyday Italian, misfatto carries a mildly condemnatory tone and is often used in colloquial or literary contexts. In formal legal language, terms such as illecito or reato are more common, while misfatto remains typical of descriptive or narrative prose.

Usage and nuance: Misfatto emphasizes the wrongness of the act itself rather than its status as a prosecutable crime. It can be used to describe acts that are ethically dubious or morally faultful, regardless of legal classification. The phrase un misfatto generally means “a misdeed” or “a bad act,” and it can be applied to individuals or actions.

Etymology and history: The word is built from fatto (deed) with a negative connotation, and it appears in Italian literature and journalism from the early modern period onward. It is not a legal term of art, but a general label for wrongdoing in non-technical language.

See also: Reato, Illecito, Colpa.