disorderly conduct

American

noun

Law.

any of various petty misdemeanors, generally including nuisances, breaches of the peace, offensive or immoral conduct in public, etc.

disorderly conduct British

noun

law any of various minor offences tending to cause a disturbance of the peace

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of disorderly conduct

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

See Examples For:

disorderly conduct

But Gespass had video proof that the prosecution’s argument about Gamble’s disorderly conduct was absurd.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

One of those was US rapper Lil TJay, real name Tione Jayden Merritt, who has been charged with disorderly conduct.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

Cipriani ultimately only pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

Police issued O’Keefe a summons for disorderly conduct and he “was not placed under arrest at any time,” the statement said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2025

Police separated the two and charged Ms. Worthy with disorderly conduct.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

disorderly conduct

noun

noun

Etymology

Origin of disorderly conduct

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words