"evil conduct, fraudulent dealing," especially "professional or official corruption," 1540s, from French malversation, from malverser, from Latin male versari, from male "wrongly, ill" (see mal-) + versari "to behave, conduct oneself" (etymologically "to frequent; to 'move about' a place"), passive frequentative of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend").
