Question:easy

Given below are a few commonly used foreign language phrases, select the correct answer from the four options given below.

Mala fide

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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
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

"Mala fide" is one of the most heavily used Latin tags in Indian courtrooms, and it always sits in contrast with its twin, "bona fide". If you remember only that pair, the question answers itself: bona fide is the honest one, mala fide is the dishonest one. The word "mala" shares its root with malice and malpractice, both of which signal something bad, and "fide" is faith. So the phrase describes an act done in bad faith.

  1. generous: A person's willingness to give away money or time. There is no Latin root here connected to either "malus" or "fides", and generosity has nothing to do with the honesty of an intention. Wrong.
  2. bad intention: This matches "in bad faith" exactly. A mala fide act is one done dishonestly, for an ulterior purpose, such as an authority using a statutory power to punish a rival rather than to serve the statute. Correct.
  3. trustworthy: Tempting if you spot "fide" and stop reading. But "mala" flips the sense, so the phrase means the reverse of trustworthy. Wrong.
  4. genuine: This is what "bona fide" means, as in a bona fide purchaser or a bona fide need. Choosing it here would mean mixing up the two halves of the pair. Wrong.

So "mala fide" is best rendered as bad intention, which is option (B). A sentence like "the transfer order was challenged as mala fide" simply means the order is alleged to have been passed dishonestly.

Let's summarize:

  • Mala means bad, fide means faith, so mala fide is "in bad faith".
  • Bona fide is its opposite and means in good faith, honest, genuine.
  • Two of the four choices here (trustworthy, genuine) are deliberately planted opposites, so read both words of the phrase before answering.

The correct option is (B), bad intention.

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