maltraiter

mistreat

verb mahl-treh-TEH Rare

Also means

abuse

Usage Note

Maltraiter combines mal ('badly') + traiter ('to treat') and can apply to people, animals, or objects. The noun maltraitance is the standard term in child-protection and social-work contexts. Do not confuse with mauvais traitement (a noun phrase with a similar meaning).

Examples

"Il ne faut jamais maltraiter un animal."

Natural Translation

One must never mistreat an animal.

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