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disorder

disorder

50 4.1
A time of public unrest that breaks normal order
  • noun
  • /dɪsˈɔrdər/
  • Literature
translation icon : disturbio
  • The United States can, however, remove the cause of disorder by withdrawing its forces sooner rather than later.

It's a risky situation because it produces disorder and it can produces a form of civil war.

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Examples

  • China's potential civil disorder problem is greater than that of any other great power.

    Academic text (2015)
  • But the riotous disorder has played into his hands.

  • And he must have experienced a life of disorder to desire order in his life.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • If we have chaos, we have disorder.

  • It's a risky situation because it produces disorder and it can produces a form of civil war.

  • You know, it is indicative of general greater disorder and crimes on the subway.

  • Catastrophe and ruin will come; disorder will triumph, but order will too, from time to time.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Collapse of the Weimar Republic, internal disorder, the rise of Hitler.

  • Misbehavior and disorder will not be tolerated at Tres Rios.

  • The protest led to widespread disorder in the city, with clashes between demonstrators and police.

Synonyms

trouble
vsdisorder
1.0

A situation with fighting or strong arguments that disturbs people

is more specific to public peace disruption rather than general difficulties
chaos
vsdisorder
438 3.1

A situation with no order where people are confused and cannot act normally

is a general societal disruption that can be less total than complete confusion
turmoil
vsdisorder
138 4.8

A time of great confusion and disorder

is a broader term for public peace disruption rather than intense upheaval
unrest
vsdisorder
126 3.4

A situation where people protest and cause disorder to ask for change

is broader covering any disruption of order not only popular dissatisfaction
anarchy
vsdisorder
79 6.5

A situation with no government and much disorder

is a form of public peace disruption rather than organized political change
commotion
vsdisorder
73 4.1

A noisy situation when people are excited or confused

is broader, applying to larger social disruptions beyond local noise
mayhem
vsdisorder
68 7.3

Violent disorder and chaos that causes damage or a lot of trouble

is a broader public peace disruption that can be nonviolent or less destructive
disturbance
vsdisorder
45 3.7

A noisy event in a public place that bothers other people

covers wider societal breakdowns rather than single noisy events
turbulence
vsdisorder
18 7.7

A time of strong political or social disorder

is a general peace disruption and can be less violent or political
disorderly conduct
vsdisorder
  • Formal
16 5.0

Behavior that disturbs people in public and may be illegal

focuses on societal peace disruption generally rather than legal offense cases
political turmoil
vsdisorder
  • Literature
7 5.1

A time when a country's government is unstable and many people protest

focuses on public peace disruption in any domain rather than only politics
disorderly behavior
vsdisorder
  • US
1 3.7

Actions in public that disturb other people or cause trouble

refers to wider situations of societal breakdown beyond individual acts
a right state of chaos
vsdisorder
  • Informal
8.4

A situation with things all over and people confused

is a broader term that can mean milder disruption rather than total collapse
disorderliness
vsdisorder
6.0

Noisy actions by people who do not follow rules or order

is a broader societal disruption, not just individual unruly actions

Antonyms

505 1.5

A state where people follow rules and behave calmly

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

Compounds

eating disorder
  • Specialized
40 3.7

A health condition where a person has unhealthy eating habits, like anorexia or bulimia

personality disorder
  • Specialized
34 5.8

A long-lasting pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving that causes problems in life

bipolar disorder
  • Specialized
24 3.9

A condition that causes very high and very low mood periods

mental disorder
  • Specialized
20 3.3

A condition that causes problems with thinking, feeling, or behaving

anxiety disorder
  • Specialized
12 4.3

A mental health problem that makes someone feel very worried most days and affects daily life

11 3.6

A condition that makes it hard to pay attention and sometimes makes people very active or act without thinking

sleep disorder
  • Specialized
11 3.5

A health problem that stops a person sleeping normally

genetic disorder
  • Specialized
9 4.2

A health problem caused by changes in a person's genes that parents pass on

neurological disorder
  • Specialized
8 5.0

A disease that affects the brain, spinal cord or nerves

8 3.5

A long-term mental health problem where unwanted thoughts make you repeat actions

A health problem that affects the blood, like anemia or leukemia

brain disorder
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A health problem that harms the brain and how it works

A condition often in children causing trouble paying attention, being very active and acting without thinking

autoimmune disorder
  • Specialized
4 4.2

A disease in which the immune system attacks the body's healthy parts

depressive disorder
  • Specialized
3 4.8

Long periods of deep sadness and loss of interest that make daily life hard and often need medical help

3 4.6

A condition that changes a person's thoughts, feelings, or behavior and causes problems in life

panic disorder
  • Specialized
3 5.1

A health problem with sudden, repeated attacks of strong fear and physical symptoms

conversion disorder
  • Specialized
2 7.8

A condition where emotional stress causes loss of movement or feeling without a medical cause

affective disorder
  • Specialized
2 7.5

A mental illness that causes strong, lasting changes in mood, like depression or bipolar condition

metabolic disorder
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A health problem where the body cannot use food or energy properly

2 4.4

A long-lasting problem in the mind after a very frightening event that causes flashbacks, strong fear, and avoidance of reminders

dissociative disorder
  • Specialized
2 8.3

A mental health condition where a person's memory, identity, or awareness breaks down

emotional disorder
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A mental condition that causes strong, long-lasting problems with feelings, not caused by clear brain damage

A long-term mental condition where a person ignores other people's rights, feels no guilt, and acts impulsively

learning disorder
  • Specialized
2 4.4

A difficulty that makes it hard for children with normal intelligence to read, write, or do math

nervous disorder
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A health problem that affects the brain and nerves and causes symptoms like pain or numbness

skin disorder
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A health problem that makes the skin red, sore, or itchy

delusional disorder
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A mental health problem with strong false beliefs that last a long time and do not change when shown proof

1 9.6

A long feeling of not being real and watching yourself from outside

1 3.7

An illness that affects the stomach and intestines, often from bad food or water

1 5.5

A condition when a person has strong, long-lasting worry about many things and physical signs like tension and sweating

speech disorder
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A condition that makes it hard to say sounds correctly or use the voice well

chromosomal disorder
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A health condition caused by a change in chromosomes that can affect the body or mind

congenital disorder
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A health problem a person has at birth, often from parents' genes or events before birth

cyclothymic disorder
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A long-lasting condition of mild mood swings between low and high feelings

degenerative disorder
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A long-term medical condition in which parts of the body or how they work slowly get worse

1 6.5

A disease that happens when one copy of a gene on a non-sex chromosome changes

manic disorder
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A mental illness that causes very high mood, energy, and activity, sometimes with impulsive or violent behavior

glandular disorder
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A health problem where body parts that make important chemicals do not work properly

hearing disorder
  • Specialized
1 3.3

A problem that makes it hard to hear sounds or understand speech

inherited disorder
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A disease parents pass to their children in their genes

1 6.6

Physical symptoms caused by stress or strong emotions without a clear medical cause

renal disorder
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A health problem that affects the kidneys

A disease that affects the lungs or other parts used for breathing

organic disorder
  • Specialized
1 5.1

Physical changes in an organ or part of the body cause a health problem

1 8.1

A serious mental illness that makes people lose contact with reality and withdraw from others

bladder disorder
  • Specialized
4.2

A health problem that makes the bladder hold or let out urine badly

cyclic disorder
  • Specialized
8.6

A long-term condition in which moods often change between mild low and mild high feelings

acute brain disorder
  • Specialized
7.3

A sudden short-term brain problem that makes a person confused and often follows illness, injury, or medicine use

9.1

A serious loss of recent memory after long term heavy drinking while older memories stay

functional disorder
  • Specialized
6.4

A condition that causes real symptoms without a clear physical cause

8.2

A serious mental illness that causes very low or very high mood

menstrual disorder
  • Specialized
4.9

Problems with a woman's monthly period, such as heavy, painful, or missed periods

monogenic disorder
  • Specialized
8.0

A disease that happens when one gene changes and parents pass that change to their child

idiopathic disorder
  • Specialized
8.4

A health problem with no known cause

5.9

A disease that makes the body's defence system attack itself or stop working properly

phobic disorder
  • Specialized
6.5

An extreme, unreasonable fear of a specific thing or situation that affects daily life

polygenic disorder
  • Specialized
7.0

An inherited disease caused by many genes, for example high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes

sex-linked disorder
  • Specialized
6.2

A condition caused by a gene on a sex chromosome that affects males and females differently

sleep terror disorder
  • Specialized
9.2

A sleep problem where someone wakes from deep sleep with intense fear and often screams, usually without memory

9.1

A group of inherited diseases of the brain and spinal cord that slowly damage movement and balance

7.4

An event in public where a group becomes violent and damages property

visual disorder
  • Specialized
5.0

A problem with the eyes that makes it hard to see clearly

How Disorderly

riot
329 4.1
disturbance
45 3.7
unrest
126 3.4
disorder
  • Literature
50 4.1
tension
509 3.2
order
505 1.5

Surface Forms

disorder singular
disorders plural

Morphology

disorder = order (semi-transparent) = dis + order

The broad meaning 'lack of order' is clear, but the specific sense of public disturbance or unrest is a somewhat specialized social application.

Etymology

The noun disorder for public unrest comes from dis- ('no' or 'not') and order ('rule' or 'arrangement'), so it means a time when normal rules and peace are broken. That's why disorder describes protests or riots that disturb a city.