breach of the peace
noun phrase
: a charge of making a lot of noise or behaving violently in public : disorderly conduct
He was fined for committing a breach of the peace.
Examples of breach of the peace in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If the speech is a threat that incites imminent lawless action, threatens serious bodily harm, or causes an immediate breach of the peace, it could be considered unprotected, according to constitutional law advocates at the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
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Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 15 Dec. 2023
The First Amendment doesn’t protect words intended to cause and likely to cause an imminent breach of the peace.
—WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
That same month, a New London court sentenced Tate to three months for disorderly conduct, six months for second-degree breach of the peace and another six months for second-degree threatening.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 22 Aug. 2023
Kitna's five felony charges were later dropped in July as part of a plea agreement, in which the athlete pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace, according to ESPN.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2023
Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 15 Dec. 2023
The First Amendment doesn’t protect words intended to cause and likely to cause an imminent breach of the peace.
—WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023
That same month, a New London court sentenced Tate to three months for disorderly conduct, six months for second-degree breach of the peace and another six months for second-degree threatening.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 22 Aug. 2023
Kitna's five felony charges were later dropped in July as part of a plea agreement, in which the athlete pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace, according to ESPN.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breach of the peace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Breach of the peace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breach%20of%20the%20peace. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Legal Definition
breach of the peace
1
: a disturbance of public peace or order
insulting language causing a breach of the peace
see also fighting words
2
: the offense of causing a breach of the peace compare disorderly conduct
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