misbehavior

noun

mis·​be·​hav·​ior ˌmis-bi-ˈhā-vyər How to pronounce misbehavior (audio)
-bē-
plural misbehaviors
1
: bad, improper, or rude behavior : ill conduct
scolded the children for their misbehavior
2
US military law : any conduct by a member of the armed forces before or in the presence of the enemy that does not conform to military standards or practice for such a situation
… is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.The Boston Herald

Examples of misbehavior in a Sentence

would not tolerate any misbehavior from her students
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.
Make the witness ‘unavailable’ The defense attorneys said Rundle tacitly endorses misbehavior by offering no consequences for it. Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025 As a result, the consequences for their misbehavior must be immediate. Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 2 Jan. 2025 One in 4 parents of preschool-age children have used Santa or the threat of no gifts to address misbehavior, according to a new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released on Monday. Julianna Bragg, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024 In one case targeting the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), for example, X accused the nonprofit of illegally scraping user data from X to inform its report that criticized Musk’s decision to reinstate users who had previously been banned for misbehavior on the service. Jenn Brice, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for misbehavior 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misbehavior was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near misbehavior

Cite this Entry

“Misbehavior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misbehavior. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

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