misconduct
Americannoun
-
improper or wrong behavior.
Numerous accusations of sexual misconduct have blighted his campaign.
Her license was revoked for professional misconduct and poor professional performance.
- Synonyms:
- misstep, misdeed, misbehavior, wrongdoing
-
unlawful behavior by an official in regard to their office, or by a person in the administration of justice, such as a lawyer, witness, or juror; malfeasance.
A complaint was filed against the prosecutor, alleging misconduct in the case.
verb (used with object)
-
to mismanage.
-
to misbehave (oneself ).
noun
verb
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to conduct (oneself) in such a way
-
to manage (something) badly
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have misconductedperfect
-
has misconductedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have been misconductingperfect progressive
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am misconductingprogressive 1st person singular
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is misconductingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been misconductingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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misconductssingular 3rd person
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misconductingparticiple
-
are misconductingprogressive
Past
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had misconductedperfect
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was misconductingprogressive singular
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were misconductingprogressive plural
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had been misconductingperfect progressive
-
misconductedparticiple
-
misconductedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of misconduct
Explanation
Misconduct is any kind of bad, unethical, or illegal activity. When there's misconduct, someone is doing something wrong. Since conduct is behavior, misconduct is behavior that's not quite right: some kind of shady or criminal conduct. If an accountant cooked the books — lied about finances — that's misconduct. A police officer taking a bribe is guilty of misconduct. Often, misconduct specifically refers to someone who does improper things on behalf of someone else, like the misconduct of a dishonest lawyer.
Vocabulary lists containing misconduct
mis-
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Simply Scandalous!
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mis-
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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.
This is the fourth publicly reported judicial misconduct matter this year, and likely won’t be the last.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Workplace misconduct is a blind spot for the courts.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
In late May, the 77th Street gang squad was temporarily disbanded amid an internal investigation into misconduct that was allegedly driven by a push to seize illegal firearms.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
According to McSweeney, these documents are among material held back at the request of the Metropolitan Police, who are investigating the peer over allegations of misconduct in public office.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
If Tate was a state officer, Monroe County would have no liability for his misconduct and no recovery would be possible from the State of Alabama.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
