misconduct
noun
mis·con·duct
ˌmis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt 
1
: mismanagement especially of governmental or military responsibilities
2
: intentional wrongdoing
specifically
: deliberate violation of a law or standard especially by a government official : malfeasance
3
a
: improper behavior
b
: adultery
4
: a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)
Examples of misconduct in a Sentence
He was forced to defend himself against charges of sexual misconduct.
There have been reports of misconduct by several employees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Was anyone arrested in the Mesa park ranger misconduct case?
—
Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
The series in question was filmed last year, before the misconduct allegations against Wallace and Torode came to light.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 July 2025
In April 2024, Lateral officer Myron Howard, who was with the department for one year, was charged with rape, criminal confinement, official misconduct, making an unlawful proposition, public indecency and public nudity.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 23 July 2025
Reich was hired just before spring camp, following the publication of misconduct allegations that led to the firing of second-year coach Troy Taylor.
—Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
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Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
The series in question was filmed last year, before the misconduct allegations against Wallace and Torode came to light.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 July 2025
In April 2024, Lateral officer Myron Howard, who was with the department for one year, was charged with rape, criminal confinement, official misconduct, making an unlawful proposition, public indecency and public nudity.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 23 July 2025
Reich was hired just before spring camp, following the publication of misconduct allegations that led to the firing of second-year coach Troy Taylor.
—Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
Cite this Entry
“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misconduct
noun
mis·con·duct
(ˈ)mis-ˈkän-(ˌ)dəkt
1
: bad management
2
: improper or unlawful behavior
Legal Definition
misconduct
noun
mis·con·duct
mis-ˈkän-dəkt
: intentional or wanton wrongful but usually not criminal behavior: as
a
: deliberate or wanton violation of standards of conduct by a government official
b
: wrongful behavior (as adultery) by a spouse that leads to the dissolution of the marriage
c
: an attorney's violation of the standards set for professional conduct
also
: an attorney's and especially a prosecutor's use of deceptive or reprehensible methods in presenting a case to a jury
d
: impermissible behavior by a juror (as communicating about the case with outsiders, witnesses, or others, reading or hearing news reports about the case, or independently introducing evidence to other jurors)
e
: an employee's deliberate or wanton disregard of an employer's interests or disregard or violation of the employer's standards or rules that is sufficient to justify a denial of unemployment compensation
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