riot act

noun

: a vigorous reprimand or warning

—used in the phrase read the riot act

Did you know?

Many people were displeased when George I became king of England in 1714, and his opponents were soon leading rebellions and protests against him. The British government, anxious to stop the protests, passed a law called the "Riot Act." It allowed public officials to break up gatherings of 12 or more people by reading aloud a proclamation, warning those who heard it that they must disperse within the hour or be guilty of a felony punishable by death. By 1819, "riot act" was also being used more generally for any stern warning or reprimand. Although the law long ago fell into disuse and was finally repealed in 1973, the term that it generated lives on today.

Synonyms

• censure
• commination
• condemnation
• denunciation
• excoriation
• objurgation
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• reproof
• stricture

Examples of riot act in a Sentence

at a specially called meeting, he read the riot act to his staff for their poor handling of the crisis

Recent Examples on the Web

In the late ’80s, for example, he was implicated (and read the riot act by a court for his actions) in the goring and critical injury of a fellow outdoorsman, an event that cost Peter at least one of his oldest friends in Africa. —Chris Wallace, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2024

Expert John reads him the riot act, and says that Timmy is either going to have to give Lucinda a smooch and lean into the affection — or the relationship is dunzo. —Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2024

That includes the recent case of James Young, which the Daily News first reported last month, who wasn’t transferred to a medical facility for a highly contagious MRSA infection until Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Dora Irizarry read Bureau of Prisons lawyers and prosecutors the riot act. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2024

Linda spots her tree amidst the blinding lights and snatches the DJ's mic to read the crowd the riot act. —EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023

Reading ‘em the riot act: In the Week 5 win over the Rams, DeMarcus Lawrence gathered all the defensive players together in the bench area after a bad series and delivered a fire-and-brimstone speech. —Dallas News, 17 Oct. 2022

Reich is 4-4 against the Titans in his four seasons in Indianapolis, but the Colts have lost four of their last five against Mike Vrabel’s Titans, and after the first loss on the road last season, Irsay read his coaching staff the riot act. —The Indianapolis Star, 2 Oct. 2022

During the questioning, Kayla ignores Torres' instructions to wait in the car, and Vance reads her the riot act. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2022

M-Rod and Sanoe Lake come to clean the room Kate Bosworth is a guest in (awkward) and read her the riot act for choosing a guy over surfing. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

the Riot Act, English law of 1715 providing for the dispersal of riots upon command of legal authority

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

riot act

noun

: a strong scolding or warning

—used in the phrase read the riot act