MISCONDUCT Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

misconduct 1 of 2

noun

ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt

Definition of misconduct

as in wrongdoing

improper or illegal behavior some rough play got the hockey player fined for misconduct on the ice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in adultery

a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse both parties cited misconduct as the reason for the divorce

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

misconduct

2 of 2

verb

as in to abuse

to manage badly misconducted the polar expedition and paid for his mistakes with his life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of misconduct

Noun

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner earlier in October said that Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case, blaming police misconduct for the outcome. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The shooting has raised questions about police misconduct and a 2019 case in which Lewis was acquitted of murder. — Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

The Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, pointing to misconduct by investigators. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 In addition, referees were instructed to apply the rules regarding fouls and misconducts more strictly – a move meant to protect players and their inventiveness. — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for misconduct

Recent Examples of Synonyms for misconduct

Noun

The investigation ended without charges against Collins or her staff, and her office denies wrongdoing.

— Emma Specter, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Comey has denied any wrongdoing in that case and is seeking to have the indictment tossed out by a judge.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrongdoing

Noun

The idea shows up in mythology—from Zeus transforming into every kind of animal to commit adultery to Psyche being warned that her new husband, Eros, would be grotesque—as well as in folklore and countless retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

— Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Specifically, Pickard said his understanding of the immunity deal is that his testimony about adultery and an inappropriate relationship cannot be used against him as part of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

— Matt Schooley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of adultery

Verb

After teenage boys first reported that they had been abused in 2005, Church of the Resurrection conducted an internal investigation that court records show was inconclusive.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Acton’s campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.

— Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of abuse

Noun

The risks are already visible in models that deploy agents capable of evading their guardrails, escaping their sandboxes, cheating to obtain their goals, and covering their tracks to conceal the cheating.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
For example, if a model figures out a way to cheat to win a game, but the human running the training doesn’t spot the cheating, then the model will learn to cheat.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

Rioters burned close to 6,000 vehicles and damaged over 1,000 buildings.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
What that young girl saw damaged and scarred her heart; one wonders why the happy adults around her could not see the ugliness inherent in killing a fellow human being.

— Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

Meta has long been criticized for its data privacy practices, and on Wednesday, a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay $25 billion for violating the state’s consumer protection laws.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
The company had previously said a penalty in the billions of dollars risked violating its constitutional rights to due process and protection from excessive fines.

— Reuters, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of violate

Verb

Founders often mismanage their crucial first sales hire, mistakenly seeking candidates suited for large corporations.

— Kate Morgan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Target has been criticized for mismanaging inventory, under-investing in stores and falling behind on the trendy, eye-catching merchandise the retailer built its name on.

— Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 22 June 2026