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
The settlement also requires the league to maintain safeguards put into place after a pair of investigations released in late 2022 that found widespread misconduct that affected multiple teams, coaches and players.
—
Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Blake Lively files complaint that includes texts messages from ex-costar alleging misconduct
03:32
At Monday’s hearing, Gottlieb referenced the website Baldoni’s lawyer launched days ago, which contains documents pertaining to the legal battle.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Yet, there are also upshots in this shift in fan-player dynamic, not least the influence on women who allege mistreatment or misconduct by employers.
—Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
His supporters depict him as a crusader for FBI reform who wants to tamp down prosecutorial misconduct and surveillance abuse.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for misconduct 
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Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Blake Lively files complaint that includes texts messages from ex-costar alleging misconduct
03:32
At Monday’s hearing, Gottlieb referenced the website Baldoni’s lawyer launched days ago, which contains documents pertaining to the legal battle.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Yet, there are also upshots in this shift in fan-player dynamic, not least the influence on women who allege mistreatment or misconduct by employers.
—Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
His supporters depict him as a crusader for FBI reform who wants to tamp down prosecutorial misconduct and surveillance abuse.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for misconduct
Dictionary Entries Near misconduct
Cite this Entry
“Misconduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misconduct. Accessed 9 Feb. 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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