misrule

1 of 2

verb

mis·​rule ˌmis-ˈrül 

misruled; misruling; misrules

transitive verb

: to rule incompetently : misgovern

misrule

2 of 2

noun

1

: the action of misruling : the condition of being misruled

2

: disorder, anarchy

Synonyms

Verb

• maladminister
• misconduct
• misgovern
• mishandle
• mismanage

Noun

• anarchy
• lawlessness

Examples of misrule in a Sentence

Verb

accused of misruling his island nation to the point of economic collapse

Noun

The people of that country have endured many years of misrule.

the country's long period of misrule had made it a hotbed for terrorist organizations

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Congo had been brutally misruled by Belgium for over 70 years when the winds of change blew through in the late 1950s. —Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023

Although bin Laden eventually was killed and his al-Qaida network blunted as an international threat, Afghans are still caught in a cycle of violence and misrule with no end in sight. —Robert Burns, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2021

Noun

Hezbollah shares its chronic corruption and misrule with the other militias turned parties that have hollowed out the postwar Lebanese state. —Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Nobody can disaggregate the effects of international policies from the impact of the Taliban’s awful misrule. —Delaney Simon, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing misrule

• lord of misrule

Kids Definition

misrule

1 of 2 verb

mis·​rule (ˈ)mis-ˈrül 

: to rule or govern badly

misrule

2 of 2 noun

1

: the action of misruling : the state of being misruled

2

: disorder entry 2 sense 1, anarchy