disorderly conduct

noun

: a petty offense chiefly against public order and decency that falls short of an indictable misdemeanor

Examples of disorderly conduct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trinidad police arrested him and charged him with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The loss for Ortiz-Velez comes amid tensions within the Democratic Party after she was charged with disorderly conduct for interactions with her colleagues. — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026 She was charged with obstruction, harassment and disorderly conduct, police said. — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Hunt pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct at the terminal, and the district attorney dropped the assault charge. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disorderly conduct

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disorderly conduct was in 1786

Rhymes for disorderly conduct

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Browse Nearby Words

disorderly
disorderly conduct
disorderly house
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Cite this Entry

“Disorderly conduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disorderly%20conduct. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Legal Definition

disorderly conduct

noun
dis·​or·​der·​ly conduct
: conduct that is likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency
also : the petty offense of engaging in disorderly conduct compare breach of the peace

Note: The term disorderly conduct is used in statutes to identify various acts against the public peace. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, the blocking of public ways, and the making of threats. A statute must identify acts that constitute disorderly conduct with sufficient clarity in order to avoid being held unconstitutional because of vagueness.

More from Merriam-Webster on disorderly conduct

Nglish: Translation of disorderly conduct for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about disorderly conduct

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