Standard Lemma guide

disorder

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪsˈɔːdə(ɹ)/
  • General-American: /dɪsˈɔɹdɚ/
  • obsolete: /dɪzˈɔːɹdəɹ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)də(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S AO1 R D ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Absence of order; state of not being arranged in an orderly manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • After playing the children left the room in disorder.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A disturbance of civic peace or of public order.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The class was thrown into disorder when the teacher left the room
  • The army tried to prevent disorder when claims the elections had been rigged grew stronger.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A physical or mental malfunction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: disease, illness (both often synonymous)
  • Bulimia is an eating disorder.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disease, illness

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To throw into a state of disorder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To knock out of order or sequence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a disturbance of the peace or of public order

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: order

Broader terms: state

Narrower terms: anarchy, lawlessness, instability, confusion, rioting, riot, rowdiness, rowdyism, roughness, disorderliness, disturbance, disruption, commotion, flutter, hurly burly, to-do, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, kerfuffle, discord, strife, turbulence, upheaval, Sturm und Drang

7

noun

Meaning 7

a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder
  • everyone gets stomach upsets from time to time

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: upset

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: physical condition, physiological state, physiological condition

Narrower terms: immunological disorder, functional disorder, organic disorder, abocclusion, abruptio placentae, achlorhydria, acholia, cholestasis, achylia, achylia gastrica, acute brain disorder, acute organic brain syndrome, ailment, complaint, ill, eating disorder, bladder disorder, cardiovascular disease, celiac disease, cheilosis, perleche, choking, colpoxerosis, degenerative disorder, dysaphia, dysosmia, parosamia, olfactory impairment, dysphagia, dysuria, failure, fantods, glandular disease, gland disease, glandular disorder, adenosis, hyperactivity, impaction, impacted tooth, learning disorder, learning disability, malocclusion, idiopathic disease, idiopathic disorder, idiopathy, mental disorder, mental disturbance, disturbance, psychological disorder, folie, metabolic disorder, nervous disorder, neurological disorder, neurological disease, hydrocele, sleep disorder, strangulation, hematocolpometra, haematocolpometra, hematocolpos, haematocolpos, speech disorder, speech defect, defect of speech, sprue, tropical sprue, psilosis

8

noun

Meaning 8

a condition in which things are not in their expected places

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the files are in complete disorder

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disorderliness

Antonyms: order

Broader terms: condition, status

Narrower terms: shambles, untidiness, mess, messiness, muss, mussiness, disorganization, disorganisation, disarrangement, clutter, jumble, muddle, fuddle, mare's nest, welter, smother

9

verb

Meaning 9

bring disorder to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disarray

Antonyms: order

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: mess, mess up, perturb, derange, throw out of kilter, disarrange, scramble, jumble, throw together

10

verb

Meaning 10

disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disturb, upset, trouble

Narrower terms: worry, vex

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French desordre (modern French désordre), from Old French desordre, from des- + ordre; by surface analysis, dis- + order (<< Latin ōrdō). Compare typologically Russian непоря́док (neporjádok), беспоря́док (besporjádok), неуря́дица (neurjádica) (akin to ряд (rjad), поря́док (porjádok)).

Across languages

Translations

159 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِخْتِلال (iḵtilāl) — absence of order
  • Arabic: اِضْطِراب (iḍṭirāb) — absence of order
  • Azerbaijani: nizamsızlıq — absence of order
  • Azerbaijani: qarışıqlıq — absence of order
  • Azerbaijani: səliqəsizlik — absence of order
  • Azerbaijani: adda-buddalıq — absence of order
  • Belarusian: непара́дак (njeparádak) — absence of order
  • Bulgarian: безпорядък (bezporjadǎk) — absence of order
  • Catalan: desordre — absence of order
  • Chinese Mandarin: 混亂 /混乱 (hùnluàn) — absence of order
  • Chinese Mandarin: 紊亂 /紊乱 (wěnluàn, wènluàn) — absence of order
  • Czech: nepořádek — absence of order
  • Danish: uorden — absence of order
  • Esperanto: malordo — absence of order
  • Finnish: epäjärjestys — absence of order
  • French: désordre — absence of order
  • Georgian: უწესრიგობა (uc̣esrigoba) — absence of order
  • German: Unordnung — absence of order
  • Greek: αταξία (ataxía) — absence of order
  • Greek: ταραχή (tarachí) — absence of order
  • Ancient Greek: ἀταξία (ataxía) — absence of order
  • Hebrew: אי־סדר (y-seder) — absence of order
  • Hindi: अव्यवस्था (avyavasthā) — absence of order
  • Hindi: अस्त-व्यस्त (ast-vyast) — absence of order
  • Hindi: अव्यवस्थित (avyavasthit) — absence of order
  • Hungarian: rendetlenség — absence of order
  • Hungarian: zűrzavar — absence of order
  • Icelandic: ringulreið — absence of order
  • Icelandic: glundroði — absence of order
  • Interlingua: disordine — absence of order
  • Irish: neamhord — absence of order
  • Irish: ainriail — absence of order
  • Italian: disordine — absence of order
  • Japanese: 混乱 (konran) — absence of order
  • Kituba: kilikili — absence of order
  • Korean: 혼란 (hollan) — absence of order
  • Ladino: dezorden — absence of order
  • Ladino: enradijo — absence of order
  • Ladino: enredijo — absence of order
  • Ladino: karishiklik — absence of order
  • Lithuanian: netvarka — absence of order
  • Malay: berselerak — absence of order
  • Māori: kaumingomingo — absence of order
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uorden — absence of order
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rot — absence of order
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uorden — absence of order
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rot — absence of order
  • Plautdietsch: Onzucht — absence of order
  • Polish: nieporządek — absence of order
  • Polish: nieład — absence of order
  • Polish: bezład — absence of order
  • Portuguese: desordem — absence of order
  • Romanian: dezordine — absence of order
  • Romanian: neorânduială — absence of order
  • Russian: беспоря́док (besporjádok) — absence of order
  • Russian: каварда́к (kavardák) — absence of order
  • Russian: раскарда́ш (raskardáš) — absence of order
  • Russian: непоря́док (neporjádok) — absence of order
  • Sango: kirikiri — absence of order
  • Slovak: neporiadok — absence of order
  • Spanish: desorden — absence of order
  • Swedish: oordning — absence of order
  • Turkish: teşevvüş — absence of order
  • Ottoman Turkish: قارش (karış) — absence of order
  • Ottoman Turkish: تشوش (teşevvüş) — absence of order
  • Ukrainian: безла́ддя (bezláddja) — absence of order
  • Ukrainian: бе́злад (bézlad) — absence of order
  • Ukrainian: не́лад (nélad) — absence of order
  • Ukrainian: розгардія́ш (rozhardijáš) — absence of order
  • Ukrainian: непоря́док (neporjádok) — absence of order
  • Bulgarian: безредици (bezredici) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Finnish: levottomuus — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • French: trouble — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Galician: trastorno — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Georgian: არეულობა (areuloba) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Georgian: უწესრიგობა (uc̣esrigoba) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • German: Unruhen — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Greek: αναταραχή (anatarachí) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Ancient Greek: τύρβη (túrbē) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Hungarian: zavargás — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Italian: disordine — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Khmer: ល្បែ (lbae) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Malay: kekacauan — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Māori: kaumingomingo — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Old Turkic: 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰍𐰴 (bulɣaq) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Polish: anarchia — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Polish: bezład — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Polish: chaos — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Polish: dezorganizacja — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Portuguese: desordem — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Romanian: dezordine — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Romanian: tulburare — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Russian: беспоря́дки (besporjádki) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Russian: волне́ния (volnénija) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Russian: сму́та (smúta) — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Spanish: desorden — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Spanish: disturbio — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Spanish: desenfreno — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Spanish: revolú — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Swedish: oroligheter — disturbance of civic order or of public order
  • Arabic: اِضْطِرَاب (iḍṭirāb) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Azerbaijani: pozuntu — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Catalan: trastorn — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Czech: porucha — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Danish: forstyrrelse — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Dutch: stoornis — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Esperanto: perturbo — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Esperanto: obstrukco — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Finnish: häiriö — physical or psychical malfunction
  • French: trouble — physical or psychical malfunction
  • French: désordre — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Galician: trastorno — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Georgian: აშლილობა (ašliloba) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • German: Störung — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Greek: διαταραχή (diatarachí) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hindi: विकार (vikār) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hungarian: zavar — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hungarian: rendellenesség — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hungarian: betegség — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hungarian: megbetegedés — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Hungarian: elváltozás — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Icelandic: röskun — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Icelandic: kvilli — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Indonesian: gangguan — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Interlingua: disordine — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Italian: disturbo — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Italian: disordine — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Japanese: 障害 (shōgai) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Malay: gangguan — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Malay: kecelaruan — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forstyrrelse — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lidelse — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Polish: zaburzenie — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Portuguese: transtorno — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Portuguese: distúrbio — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Romanian: tulburare — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Romanian: dereglare — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Russian: расстро́йство (rasstrójstvo) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Russian: наруше́ние (narušénije) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Santali: ᱨᱳᱜ (rok’) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Scottish Gaelic: galar — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Scottish Gaelic: tinneas — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Scottish Gaelic: euslaint — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Serbo-Croatian: poremećaj — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Spanish: trastorno — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Spanish: desorden — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Telugu: వ్యాధి (vyādhi) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Thai: ความผิดปรกติ — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Thai: ความผิดปกติ — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Thai: โรค (rôok) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Ukrainian: ро́злад (rózlad) — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Vietnamese: rối loạn — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Welsh: anhwyldeb — physical or psychical malfunction
  • Māori: whakatōhenehene — to throw into disorder
  • Spanish: trastornar — to throw into disorder
  • Spanish: trabucar — to throw into disorder
  • Māori: tīpaopao — to knock out of order or sequence
  • Spanish: desordenar — to knock out of order or sequence
  • Spanish: permutar — to knock out of order or sequence
Real reading context

disorder in complete knowledge articles