misbehavior

noun

mis·​be·​hav·​ior ˌmis-bi-ˈhā-vyər 

-bē-

plural misbehaviors

1

: bad, improper, or rude behavior : ill conduct

scolded the children for their misbehavior

2

US military law : any conduct by a member of the armed forces before or in the presence of the enemy that does not conform to military standards or practice for such a situation

… is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

—The Boston Herald

Synonyms

• malfeasance
• misconduct
• misdoing
• wrongdoing

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students

Recent Examples on the Web

Horowitz found no political bias in the FBI's misbehavior, but Patel decided there were darker forces at work. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Dec. 2024

Despite warnings about its death rattles due to causes ranging from concussion violence to off-field misbehaviors, professional football keeps dragging everyone else down the field as the most reliable branding vehicle in America. —Dale Buss, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

The ProPublica-Tribune investigation found school administrators had called the police to report student misbehavior every other school day, on average, for years. —Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2024

To Exert Power and Control A need for power and control often contributes to misbehavior. —Amy Morin, Parents, 24 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1