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

McKenna still faces a misdemeanor simple assault charge, still faces a misdemeanor simple assault charge, along with charges of harassment and disorderly conduct. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026

State police said Werhan was arrested on charges of third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief, unlawful restraint, second-degree threatening, interfering with a 911 call and second-degree reckless endangerment. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026

Body worn cameras caught one of those arrests at the 79th Street CTA Red Line station, in which sheriff's officers saw a man smoking marijuana on the train and, in the process of taking him into custody for disorderly conduct, found a gun on him. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 25 June 2026

However, it was reduced to disorderly conduct and he was discharged honorably. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 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.