disorder

[ dis-awr-der ]

noun

1. lack of order or regular arrangement; confusion:

   Your room is in utter disorder.

   Synonyms: disorderliness, clutter, litter, jumble, disarray

2. an irregularity:

   a disorder in legal proceedings.

3. breach of order; disorderly conduct; public disturbance.

   Synonyms: turbulence, riot

4. a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction:

   a mild stomach disorder.

   Synonyms: indisposition, sickness, complaint, illness, malady, ailment

verb (used with object)

1. to destroy the order or regular arrangement of; disarrange.

   Synonyms: disorganize, disarray

2. to derange the physical or mental health or functions of.

   Synonyms: confuse, upset, disturb

disorder

/ dɪsˈɔːdə /

noun

1. a lack of order; disarray; confusion
2. a disturbance of public order or peace
3. an upset of health; ailment
4. a deviation from the normal system or order

verb

1. to upset the order of; disarrange; muddle
2. to disturb the health or mind of

Other Words From

• predis·order noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disorder¹

First recorded in 1470–80; dis- ¹ + order

Synonym Study

Disorder, brawl, disturbance, uproar are disruptions or interruptions of a peaceful situation. Disorder refers to civil unrest or to any scene in which there is confusion or fighting: The police went to the scene of the disorder. A brawl is a noisy, unseemly quarrel, usually in a public place: a tavern brawl. A disturbance is disorder of a size as to inconvenience people: to cause a disturbance. An uproar is a tumult, a bustle and clamor of many voices, often because of a disturbance: a mighty uproar.

Example Sentences

The causal relationships are somewhat murky — for example, people with lower incomes may succumb more to diseases of despair like substance use disorder or overeating.

From Salon

He went on the outline the struggles his bandmates have had in the past, including Gary Barlow's battles with an eating disorder and Mark Owen's struggles with alcohol abuse.

From BBC

Perry also had multiple drugs in his system, including buprenorphine, a drug that treats opioid use disorder.

From Salon

Or, as bank staff said, with remarkable understatement when they opened the branch on Monday morning: "We found the vault in some disorder."

From BBC

The new insights potentially explain how the gut environment changes during inflammatory bowel disorders , such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and could lead to better treatments for gut infections.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• chaos
• complication
• disturbance
• lawlessness
• trouble
• unrest