adjective
disorderly
dihs-AW-duh-lee
adjective
1
Messy or lacking any clear organization.
"The room was left in a disorderly state after the party."
2
Unruly or breaking rules of public behavior.
"He was arrested for disorderly conduct outside the bar."
How to Use Disorderly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither messy/unorganized, or, in a legal sense, behaving in a way that disturbs public order.
Common pairings
disorderly conduct
disorderly crowd
Word Forms
more disorderly comparative, more disorderly comparative, disorderlies plural, most disorderly superlative, most disorderly superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “disorderly”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The room was left in a _____ state after the party.
Etymology
From disorder plus the adjective-forming suffix -ly.