Malevolence (noun)
the state of wanting and causing nothing but harm to others
Source: dictionary.com
In the article “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear” by Toni Morrison, the word malevolence is used in this sentence: “This is the first step of a despot whose instinctive acts of malevolence are not simply mindless or evil; they are also perceptive.”
Morrison is talking about dictators and tyrants hurting many people as a strategy of repression.
Synonyms: malice, hostility, hatred, grudge
