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

She was also charged at the time with disorderly conduct, according to the outlet, which reported that Vannorman’s mother has bailed her out of jail on at least one of the two previous charges. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025

Misdemeanor disorderly conduct: alcohol, 800 block Grand Ave., 12:43 a.m. • Misdemeanor disorderly conduct: alcohol, 700 block Grand Ave., 1:22 a.m. • Felony battery with serious bodily injury, 4400 block Mission Blvd., 11:59 a.m. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025

In Manhattan, several protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct outside a Tesla dealer during a protest involving around 350 people. —April Rubin, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025

Five of the protesters from this Saturday’s action received summonses for disorderly conduct while one demonstrator was arrested for resisting arrest, obstruction and violation of local law. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disorderly conduct

• abduct
• construct
• deduct
• destruct
• induct
• instruct
• obstruct
• aqueduct
• deconstruct
• reconstruct
• bucked
• chucked

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.