a condition in which things are not in their expected places
"the files are in complete disorder"
a disturbance of the peace or of public order
"The sudden noise from the broken window triggered a minor disorder in the crowded plaza, forcing security to intervene before anyone got hurt."
Absence of order; state of not being arranged in an orderly manner.
"The room was in a complete disorder, with clothes and books scattered everywhere after the storm passed through."
In plain English: A disorder is when something inside your body or mind doesn't work the way it should and causes problems.
"The train ride was in total disorder after the signal malfunction caused a massive delay."
Usage: Use "disorder" to describe a chaotic state where things are messy or lacking organization, such as physical clutter or social confusion. It refers specifically to the condition of disorder itself rather than the act of creating it.
To throw into a state of disorder.
"The sudden gust of wind threw the neatly stacked papers into complete disorder."
In plain English: To disorder something means to mess it up so that everything is no longer neat or organized.
"The messy room was finally put into order after she spent all afternoon tidying up."
Usage: Use "disorder" as a verb to mean disrupting or disturbing an orderly arrangement, such as when someone throws a meeting into chaos. This usage is formal and less common than the noun form referring to illness or confusion.
The word disorder entered English from the Middle French desordre, which combined a prefix meaning "not" with the root for arrangement to signify a lack of order. Although it looks like an addition of the modern English prefix dis- to the noun order, this structure actually evolved through Old French before being adopted into English.