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
Ortega said she was motivated to introduce AB 2321 because of what the auditor reported about Cal-OSHA’s Bureau of Investigation, the unit responsible for investigating death and career-ending injuries for criminal misconduct.
—
Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The news that someone was seen with him has, of course, been received with a lot of interest, particularly considering that since his arrest for suspicion of misconduct in public office, neither his ex, Sarah Ferguson, nor his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, have visited him.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Apr. 2026
My administration will establish clear policy that bans deputy gangs and gang-like behavior, protect whistleblowers, and create safe, independent channels to report misconduct.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, related to his work as a global trade envoy for the British government.
—Karla Adam The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
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Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The news that someone was seen with him has, of course, been received with a lot of interest, particularly considering that since his arrest for suspicion of misconduct in public office, neither his ex, Sarah Ferguson, nor his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, have visited him.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Apr. 2026
My administration will establish clear policy that bans deputy gangs and gang-like behavior, protect whistleblowers, and create safe, independent channels to report misconduct.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, related to his work as a global trade envoy for the British government.
—Karla Adam The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misconduct
Cite this Entry
“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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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