ENGLISH
REFERENCE

disorderly

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈsɔɹdɝɫi// UK //dɪsˈɔːdəli// dis·or·der·ly

adj. describing behavior that is messy, noisy, or breaks the rules in public. You often hear this word when someone is causing trouble or not following the law.

adj. characterised by a lack of order, discipline, or respect for public peace. Often carries a legal connotation when describing conduct that disturbs the community.


SIMPLE

The crowd became disorderly after the game ended.

CONTEXTUAL

The police were called to the scene to manage a group of disorderly protesters blocking the main road.

COMPLEX

The judge noted that while the defendant's conduct was technically disorderly, it did not meet the threshold for a criminal conviction under the current statutes.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From disorder + -ly (adjectival suffix) or from dis- + orderly.

Etymology 2

From disorder + -ly (adverbial suffix) or from dis- + orderly.

Usage

Often used in the fixed legal phrase 'disorderly conduct'.

Pitfall

he behaved in a disorderly wayhis behavior was disorderlyWhile 'disorderly' ends in -ly, it is an adjective, not an adverb; it describes the person or behavior rather than the action itself.

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