misconduct

noun

mis·​con·​duct ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
1
: mismanagement especially of governmental or military responsibilities
2
: intentional wrongdoing
specifically : deliberate violation of a law or standard especially by a government official : malfeasance
3
a
: improper behavior
b
4
: a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)
misconduct transitive verb

Examples of misconduct in a Sentence

He was forced to defend himself against charges of sexual misconduct. There have been reports of misconduct by several employees.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The dispute stems from an arbitration award issued in summer 2023 that provided CPD officers accused of serious misconduct the option to have their administrative cases decided by the Chicago Police Board or in private by a third-party. Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2024 Caldwell said in the letter the allegations in the lawsuit, which are unproven, point to possible crimes that include abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and misconduct in office, as well as violations of MSP rules of conduct. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 23 Oct. 2024 Campbell is identified in county documents as an official who, for years, ordered and oversaw misconduct investigations within the department. Sarah Metz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 The city did not admit to any misconduct by its police department or prosecutors. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misconduct 

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misconduct was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near misconduct

Cite this Entry

“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

misconduct

noun
mis·​con·​duct (ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
1
: bad management
2
: improper or unlawful behavior
misconduct verb

Legal Definition

misconduct

noun
mis·​con·​duct mis-ˈkän-dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
: intentional or wanton wrongful but usually not criminal behavior: as
a
: deliberate or wanton violation of standards of conduct by a government official
b
: wrongful behavior (as adultery) by a spouse that leads to the dissolution of the marriage
c
: an attorney's violation of the standards set for professional conduct
also : an attorney's and especially a prosecutor's use of deceptive or reprehensible methods in presenting a case to a jury
d
: impermissible behavior by a juror (as communicating about the case with outsiders, witnesses, or others, reading or hearing news reports about the case, or independently introducing evidence to other jurors)
e
: an employee's deliberate or wanton disregard of an employer's interests or disregard or violation of the employer's standards or rules that is sufficient to justify a denial of unemployment compensation

More from Merriam-Webster on misconduct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!