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
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.
Despite early reports of abuse, the district allegedly failed to act, allowing Yeh to continue his misconduct until his conviction on 17 felony counts of child molestation, according to the lawsuit. Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 Peltier’s attorneys and supporters would wage a decades-long battle through appeals, writs and petitions to circuit courts, federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court and three U.S. presidents, alleging numerous incidents of misconduct by the FBI in Peltier’s case. Tom White, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025 The cutoff took place as Zeldin made multiple public appearances accusing Climate United and other groups of misconduct, eventually announcing that the funds were frozen, according to the lawsuit. Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025 Georgetown Law professor David Super told Newsweek that if there was evidence of misconduct the EPA should have given Climate United and other grantees notice and an opportunity to respond. Jeff Young, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for misconduct

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misconduct was in 1705

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

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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