misbehavior

noun

mis·​be·​hav·​ior ˌmis-bi-ˈhā-vyər How to pronounce misbehavior (audio)
-bē-
plural misbehaviors
1
: bad, improper, or rude behavior : ill conduct
scolded the children for their misbehavior
2
US military law : any conduct by a member of the armed forces before or in the presence of the enemy that does not conform to military standards or practice for such a situation
… is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.The Boston Herald

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Citing an urgency to protect students’ civil rights in a second Trump administration, Illinois lawmakers filed a new bill Monday that would explicitly prevent school police from ticketing and fining students for misbehavior. Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2025 Listen to this article Citing an urgency to protect students’ civil rights in a second Trump administration, Illinois lawmakers filed a new bill Monday that would explicitly prevent school police from ticketing and fining students for misbehavior. Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 Seoul’s pursuit of a nuclear program would be an in-kind response to decades of North Korean misbehavior, not a rogue sprint to build a destabilizing weapon. Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024 Model regulation before punishment A disciplinary tactic can often stem from frustration due to misbehavior. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for misbehavior 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misbehavior was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near misbehavior

Cite this Entry

“Misbehavior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehavior. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

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