misconduct

noun

mis·​con·​duct ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
1
: mismanagement especially of governmental or military responsibilities
2
: intentional wrongdoing
specifically : deliberate violation of a law or standard especially by a government official : malfeasance
3
a
: improper behavior
b
4
: a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)
misconduct transitive verb

Examples of misconduct in a Sentence

He was forced to defend himself against charges of sexual misconduct. There have been reports of misconduct by several employees.
Recent Examples on the Web Aldermen on the City Council’s Finance Committee approved the hefty settlement Wednesday, alongside two more deals to settle lawsuits alleging police misconduct. A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024 Spencer, 67, of Milwaukee was accused in Milwaukee County Circuit Court of one count of misconduct in office, a felony, and one count of obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor, according to a 14-page criminal complaint. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024 In the past two years, Bragg said, the unit has vacated 10 convictions through reinvestigations and 500 more related to law enforcement members convicted of misconduct. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024 Naomi Campbell is barred from serving as a charity trustee for five years after a United Kingdom watchdog group found evidence of financial misconduct at the model's charity, Fashion for Relief. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misconduct 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misconduct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misconduct was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near misconduct

Cite this Entry

“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

misconduct

noun
mis·​con·​duct (ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
1
: bad management
2
: improper or unlawful behavior
misconduct verb

Legal Definition

misconduct

noun
mis·​con·​duct mis-ˈkän-dəkt How to pronounce misconduct (audio)
: intentional or wanton wrongful but usually not criminal behavior: as
a
: deliberate or wanton violation of standards of conduct by a government official
b
: wrongful behavior (as adultery) by a spouse that leads to the dissolution of the marriage
c
: an attorney's violation of the standards set for professional conduct
also : an attorney's and especially a prosecutor's use of deceptive or reprehensible methods in presenting a case to a jury
d
: impermissible behavior by a juror (as communicating about the case with outsiders, witnesses, or others, reading or hearing news reports about the case, or independently introducing evidence to other jurors)
e
: an employee's deliberate or wanton disregard of an employer's interests or disregard or violation of the employer's standards or rules that is sufficient to justify a denial of unemployment compensation

More from Merriam-Webster on misconduct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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