disorder
Americannoun
-
lack of order or regular arrangement; confusion.
Your room is in utter disorder.
- Synonyms:
- clutter, litter, jumble, disarray, disorderliness
-
an irregularity.
a disorder in legal proceedings.
-
breach of order; disorderly conduct; public disturbance.
- Synonyms:
- turbulence, riot
-
a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction.
a mild stomach disorder.
verb (used with object)
-
to destroy the order or regular arrangement of; disarrange.
- Synonyms:
- disorganize, disarray
-
to derange the physical or mental health or functions of.
noun
-
a lack of order; disarray; confusion
-
a disturbance of public order or peace
-
an upset of health; ailment
-
a deviation from the normal system or order
verb
-
to upset the order of; disarrange; muddle
-
to disturb the health or mind of
Synonym Usage
Disorder, brawl, disturbance, uproar are disruptions or interruptions of a peaceful situation. Disorder refers to civil unrest or to any scene in which there is confusion or fighting: The police went to the scene of the disorder. A brawl is a noisy, unseemly quarrel, usually in a public place: a tavern brawl. A disturbance is disorder of a size as to inconvenience people: to cause a disturbance. An uproar is a tumult, a bustle and clamor of many voices, often because of a disturbance: a mighty uproar.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have disorderedperfect
-
has disorderedperfect 3rd person singular
-
am disorderingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is disorderingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
disorderssingular 3rd person
-
have been disorderingperfect progressive
-
are disorderingprogressive
-
disorderingparticiple
-
has been disorderingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had disorderedperfect
-
was disorderingprogressive singular
-
disorderedsimple
-
were disorderingprogressive plural
-
had been disorderingperfect progressive
-
disorderedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disorder
Explanation
Disorder is a lack of order — in other words, chaos, clutter, and general disarray. If everyone in your class is yelling and throwing things, there's no order: there's disorder. If all the library books are out of order and thrown sloppily on the shelf, that's disorder, too. If you mess or mix something up, you're disordering it. Many medical conditions and diseases are also called disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder. Whenever there's disorder, something is wrong or out of whack.
Vocabulary lists containing disorder
Mayhem! Chaos! Pandemonium!
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 15–October 21, 2022
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Health and Healthcare, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Millions of people worldwide live with obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder that repeatedly interrupts breathing during sleep.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Elizabette Guecamburu, a bookkeeper who has a rare neuromuscular disorder, spoke at Monday’s rally and implored the governor to remember the teachings of their shared alma mater Santa Clara University, a Jesuit-led private school.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The Wilmington, Del., company said VGA039 is currently in Phase 3 pivotal development for patients with von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The force said four further men had been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder - three from Southampton aged 18, 34 and 45, along with a 41-year-old man from Basingstoke.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
I was extremely ill after the last examination; the other, a middle-aged fellow, had some disorder or disease of the kidney, and was dying.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
