Meaning & use
disorder
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A lack of order; a messy or confused state.
Grammar: No plural when it means general mess: The room was in disorder.
Patterns
- in disorder
- fall into disorder
After the party, the house was in complete disorder.
The papers on his desk were in disorder.
nouncountablemedical
A medical condition that affects the body or mind.
Grammar: Countable when naming a specific condition: an eating disorder.
Patterns
- a sleep disorder
- an anxiety disorder
- suffer from a disorder
She was diagnosed with a sleep disorder.
Anxiety disorders are common and treatable.
noununcountable
Public violence or unruly behavior by a crowd.
Grammar: Often used in news reports: civil disorder.
Patterns
- civil disorder
- public disorder
- cause disorder
The protest led to widespread disorder.
Police were called to deal with public disorder.
Word forms
| plural | disorders |
|---|
Common combinations
- in disorder
- The books were left in disorder on the floor.
- eating disorder
- She received treatment for an eating disorder.
- civil disorder
- The city experienced civil disorder after the decision.
- mental disorder
- He studies mental disorders at the university.
- sleep disorder
- A sleep disorder can make you tired all day.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mess
- Informal and usually physical; disorder is more formal and can also mean a medical condition.
- chaos
- Stronger and suggests complete confusion; disorder can be milder or more organized.
- illness
- General word for being sick; disorder is a specific medical condition.
- condition
- Medical term for a health problem; disorder often suggests a known pattern of symptoms.
Opposites
Word family
- disordered adjective
- Not organized or tidy; also used for a disturbed mind.
- disorderly adjective
- Behaving badly or in a way that breaks rules.
- order noun
- The opposite state: everything arranged correctly.
Commonly confused: disorder or disorderly?
disorder vs disorderly
Disorder is a noun; disorderly is an adjective meaning badly behaved or untidy.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'disorder' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Disorder is a noun, so 'has a disorder' is correct. The other options use it as an adjective or verb, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disorder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.