disorderly conduct

noun

: a petty offense chiefly against public order and decency that falls short of an indictable misdemeanor

Examples of disorderly conduct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Canut is facing several charges, including simple assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. —Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

Court documents show that he was only ever found guilty or pleaded guilty to traffic offenses and one count of disorderly conduct. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026

Authorities arrested 133 people on charges like disorderly conduct as unsanctioned events drew huge crowds despite restrictions on loud music and alcohol. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026

As a juvenile, Trezvant was charged with harassment by phone in 2015 and disorderly conduct in 2016, court records show. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disorderly conduct

• abduct
• construct
• deduct
• destruct
• induct
• instruct
• obstruct
• aqueduct
• deconstruct
• reconstruct
• bucked
• chucked

Legal Definition

disorderly conduct

noun

dis·​or·​der·​ly conduct

: conduct that is likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency

also : the petty offense of engaging in disorderly conduct compare breach of the peace

Note: The term disorderly conduct is used in statutes to identify various acts against the public peace. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, the blocking of public ways, and the making of threats. A statute must identify acts that constitute disorderly conduct with sufficient clarity in order to avoid being held unconstitutional because of vagueness.