1
: lack of order
clothes in disorder
2
: breach of the peace or public order
troubled times marked by social disorders
3
: an abnormal physical or mental condition
a liver disorder
a personality disorder
Examples of disorder in a Sentence
Verb
be careful not to disorder the carefully arranged contents of the dresser
Noun
The mayor is concerned that a rally could create public disorder.
problems of crime and social disorder
Millions of people suffer from some form of personality disorder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
These measurements revealed that the second conductivity drop occurred when the atomic structure of the warm dense aluminum suddenly lost its orderly arrangement and became disordered.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
January is health awareness month for cervical cancer, birth defects, glaucoma, substance abuse disorder and radon, a naturally occurring, radioactive, colorless and odorless gas that can seep into buildings from soil, becoming a significant health risk.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disorder
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
These measurements revealed that the second conductivity drop occurred when the atomic structure of the warm dense aluminum suddenly lost its orderly arrangement and became disordered.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
Noun
Garg said many midlife women may fall into this group, which also includes those over 50, plus people who are immunocompromised, classified as obese or who have disorders that impact the kidney, liver, blood or metabolism.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
January is health awareness month for cervical cancer, birth defects, glaucoma, substance abuse disorder and radon, a naturally occurring, radioactive, colorless and odorless gas that can seep into buildings from soil, becoming a significant health risk.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disorder
Cite this Entry
“Disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disorder. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disorder
1 of 2 verb
dis·or·der
(ˈ)dis-ˈȯrd-ər 
1
: to disturb the order of
2
: to disturb the regular or normal functions of
disorder
2 of 2 noun1
: lack of order : a state or condition without order
clothes in disorder
2
: an abnormal physical or mental condition : ailment
Medical Definition
disorder
1 of 2 transitive verb
dis·or·der
(ˈ)dis-ˈȯrd-ər, (ˈ)diz-
disordered; disordering
-ˈȯrd-(ə-)riŋ
: to disturb the regular or normal functions of
disorder
2 of 2 noun
: an abnormal physical or mental condition : ailment
an intestinal disorder
a nervous disorder
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share