Definition: Malware, a shortened combination of the words malicious and software, is a catch-all term for all sorts of software designed with malicious intent.
The term malware is generally understood to include viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses, many kinds of adware, and other malicious programs.
You can learn more about malware at the About.com Antivirus Software site.
Examples:
"Some computer problems that look like Windows errors or hardware problems are actually cause by malware! A malware/virus scan is always an important step when troubleshooting nearly any problem."
