misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct | \ ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt

Definition of misconduct

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

3a : improper behavior

b : adultery

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

Other Words from misconduct Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About misconduct

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 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law allowed the SEC to sue anyone in the administrative courts, including people accused of misconduct, such as insider trading, who didn’t work in the securities industry. — Dave Michaels, WSJ, 18 May 2022 The incident came amid a series of controversies that have engulfed the San Jose Police Department in recent weeks involving several officers who have been arrested for various allegations of misconduct. — Fox News, 13 May 2022 The academy has struggled to deal with members who have been accused of misconduct. — Stacy Permanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2022 During his time on the bench, Cantrell was publicly reprimanded by the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance for two instances of misconduct. — Washington Post, 11 May 2022 Disney Television Studios cut ties with Savage, 45, after an investigation into multiple complaints of misconduct in his work for the ABC series, the report says. — Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 6 May 2022 Peeler, who was an early childhood health section manager at MDHHS, has been charged with two felony counts of misconduct in office and one misdemeanor count of willful neglect of duty. — Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2022 What would be your approach to investigating and disciplining employees accused of misconduct? — oregonlive, 2 May 2022 In the past several months, five coaches either were dismissed or stepped down amid claims of misconduct. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misconduct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About misconduct

Dictionary Entries Near misconduct

misconception

misconduct

misconnect

Statistics for misconduct

Last Updated

21 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 23 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for misconduct

misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct | \ mis-ˈkän-ˌdəkt

Kids Definition of misconduct

: bad behavior

misconduct

noun

mis·con·duct | \ mis-ˈkän-dəkt

Legal Definition of misconduct

: 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