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

In September 2008, a dust up with a fan at a Utah bowling alley led Coleman to plead no contest to disorderly conduct. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026

He was charged with assault and battery on a person over the age of 60, witness intimidation, malicious destruction of property, and disorderly conduct. —Riley Rourke, CBS News, 1 May 2026

At the time, Brad Ferro, then 24, was arrested for assault and disorderly conduct. —Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Four were arrested alongside Ossé, and all were charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, according to the department. —Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

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.