misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt

Synonyms of misconduct

: mismanagement especially of governmental or military responsibilities

: intentional wrongdoing

specifically : deliberate violation of a law or standard especially by a government official : malfeasance

: improper behavior

: adultery

: a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)

misconduct

ˌmis-kən-ˈdəkt

transitive verb

Examples of misconduct in a Sentence

He was forced to defend himself against charges of sexual misconduct. There have been reports of misconduct by several employees.

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.

Red cards are issued for egregious fouls or misconduct and automatically result in a one-game ban. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Platner’s enthusiasts initially continued to support his campaign and reject the evidence of his misconduct. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 Attorneys for the plaintiffs accused the company of engaging in the alleged misconduct for years, routinely selling windowless window seats to passengers. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Andrew was then arrested on February 19—his 66th birthday—on suspicion of misconduct in public office. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for misconduct

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of misconduct was in 1705

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

misconception

misconduct

misconnect

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct (ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt

: bad management

: improper or unlawful behavior

misconduct

ˌmis-kən-ˈdəkt

verb

Legal Definition

misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct mis-ˈkän-dəkt

: intentional or wanton wrongful but usually not criminal behavior: as

: deliberate or wanton violation of standards of conduct by a government official

: wrongful behavior (as adultery) by a spouse that leads to the dissolution of the marriage

: an attorney's violation of the standards set for professional conduct

also : an attorney's and especially a prosecutor's use of deceptive or reprehensible methods in presenting a case to a jury

: impermissible behavior by a juror (as communicating about the case with outsiders, witnesses, or others, reading or hearing news reports about the case, or independently introducing evidence to other jurors)

: an employee's deliberate or wanton disregard of an employer's interests or disregard or violation of the employer's standards or rules that is sufficient to justify a denial of unemployment compensation

misconduct

noun

Synonyms of misconduct

Examples of misconduct in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

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