disorder

[dis-awr-der]

noun

1. lack of order or regular arrangement; confusion.

   Your room is in utter disorder.

   Synonyms: clutter, litter, jumble, disarray, disorderliness

2. an irregularity.

   a disorder in legal proceedings.

3. breach of order; disorderly conduct; public disturbance.

   Synonyms: turbulence, riot

4. a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction.

   a mild stomach disorder.

   Synonyms: indisposition, sickness, complaint, illness, malady, ailment

verb (used with object)

1. to destroy the order or regular arrangement of; disarrange.

   Synonyms: disorganize, disarray

2. to derange the physical or mental health or functions of.

   Synonyms: confuse, upset, disturb

disorder

/ dɪsˈɔːdə /

noun

1. a lack of order; disarray; confusion

2. a disturbance of public order or peace

3. an upset of health; ailment

4. a deviation from the normal system or order

verb

1. to upset the order of; disarrange; muddle

2. to disturb the health or mind of

Other Word Forms

• predisorder noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disorder¹

First recorded in 1470–80; dis- ¹ + order

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

After that would come 35,000 square feet of space dedicated to essential services for trainees, including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, job training and career development.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The term post-traumatic stress disorder did not come into being until the Vietnam War and was not added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until 1980.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Victoria said that she never confided in her parents about her eating disorder, nor did she ever speak about it publicly.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The researchers added: “There is a strong positive association of social isolation and loneliness with depression from youth to older adulthood. Further, higher social connectedness is protective towards depressive symptoms and disorders.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Because those children were hospitalized, Mandell said, it was likely they were "otherwise medically compromised," which could explain higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• chaos 
• complication 
• disturbance 
• lawlessness 
• trouble 
• unrest