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

In November 2016, Vang was convicted of disorderly conduct, but a fifth-degree assault charge was dismissed. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026

Chartise Wells, 41, Chicago, was subsequently ticketed for disorderly conduct, police said. —Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026

Simpson wasn’t taken into custody until recently, when she was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 21 Jan. 2026

Prosecutors dropped the charge to a misdemeanor, and in 2017, DiTommaso pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one day of anger management. —Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 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.