Misconduct

How to spell misconduct

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce misconduct

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does misconduct mean?

1. nounBehaviour that is improper or unacceptable, especially a breach of professional or legal standards.
2. verbTo behave in an improper or unacceptable way, especially toward others.

Misconduct in a sentence

• noun

  The manager was dismissed for gross misconduct after the audit.

• verb

  A referee may report any player who chooses to misconduct himself during the match.

• noun

  The tribunal investigated allegations of professional misconduct against the surgeon.

• verb

  Staff who repeatedly misconduct themselves can be suspended without pay.

Where does misconduct come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built from the prefix mis-, an old Germanic element meaning 'wrong' or 'badly', attached to 'conduct'. Conduct itself descends from the Latin verb conducere, formed from con- meaning 'together' and ducere meaning 'to lead' or 'to draw'; literally it described leading or bringing things together. By the late Middle Ages 'conduct' had come to mean the way a person leads or carries themselves, that is, their behaviour. Tacking on mis- in the sixteenth century produced 'misconduct', the leading of oneself in a wrong direction, whether that means bad behaviour generally or a specific breach of professional standards. The same ducere root still leads through everyday words like 'produce', 'reduce' and 'aqueduct', which is a handy reminder that the spelling keeps the c-t cluster of 'duct'.

How the word is built

• mis- (wrong, badly)
• con- (together)
• duct (from Latin ducere: to lead)