misconduct

noun

mis·​con·​duct ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt 

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

: adultery

4

: a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)

misconduct

ˌmis-kən-ˈdəkt 

transitive verb

Synonyms

• wrongdoing

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

The oversight group also submitted a complaint to the Office of Congressional Conduct, which until this year was called the Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent entity that reviews allegations of misconduct against House members and staff. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025

One officer from Fort Lauderdale had been tried and acquitted of official misconduct. —Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025

Yet they are being used in a context wherein being judged guilty carries quite significant consequences—suspension and expulsion are on the cards if one is convicted of academic misconduct. —Christian Perry, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Between 2007 and 2012, the number of employees arrested for misconduct spiked 44 percent, AIC found. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

misconduct

noun

mis·​con·​duct (ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt 

1

: bad management

2

: improper or unlawful behavior

misconduct

ˌmis-kən-ˈdəkt 

verb

Legal Definition

misconduct

noun

mis·​con·​duct mis-ˈkän-dəkt 

: 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