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)
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
Baldwin also faced an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with Hutchins’ death, but a judge dismissed the case in the middle of trial last summer due to prosecutorial misconduct and evidence suppression.
—
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
When an instance of misconduct is alleged and the investigation begins to make some headway, the police or corrections officer might quit or retire.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
In law enforcement, the legally binding agreements, approved by all parties, typically stem from Justice Department investigations into widespread patterns of misconduct.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The lawsuit has scrutinized McMahon and WWE, with allegations detailing serious misconduct.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
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Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
When an instance of misconduct is alleged and the investigation begins to make some headway, the police or corrections officer might quit or retire.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
In law enforcement, the legally binding agreements, approved by all parties, typically stem from Justice Department investigations into widespread patterns of misconduct.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The lawsuit has scrutinized McMahon and WWE, with allegations detailing serious misconduct.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
Cite this Entry
“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misconduct
noun
mis·con·duct
(ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt
1
: bad management
2
: improper or unlawful behavior
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
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