disorderly conduct

noun

: a petty offense chiefly against public order and decency that falls short of an indictable misdemeanor

Examples of disorderly conduct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He has been convicted of disorderly conduct, larceny and robbery, according to the court document. —Eric Levenson, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025

He was also arrested in 2012 following an altercation at a hotel in Omaha, Nebraska, and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing justice, Reuters reported. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

On appeal, the judge dismissed the segregation and disorderly conduct charges, leaving the assault charge on her record. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025

Matt Kaplan and Nicholas Andrew were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct. —Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

disorderly conduct

noun

dis·​or·​der·​ly conduct

: conduct that is likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency

also : the petty offense of engaging in disorderly conduct compare breach of the peace

Note: The term disorderly conduct is used in statutes to identify various acts against the public peace. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, the blocking of public ways, and the making of threats. A statute must identify acts that constitute disorderly conduct with sufficient clarity in order to avoid being held unconstitutional because of vagueness.