Dictionary

lawless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɔːləs/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *lagą Old Norse lag Old Norse lǫgbor. Old English lagu Middle English lawe Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les Middle English laweles English lawless From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).

Meanings

1. Not governed by any law.
2. Prohibited by law; unlawful, illegal.
   • “We’re in a moment in this country where transgender people in this country are under attack in lawless ways,” said Chase Strangio, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented transgender teens at the high court. 2025 June 18, John Fritze and Devan Cole, “Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s historic decision on transgender care”, in CNN:
   • This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men, That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile, Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:
   • For ſure the Gods / Are not devoid of wiſdom, but perceive / What oaths are lawleſs and by force extorted. 1782, Euripides, “Iphegenia in Aulis”, in Michael Wodhull, transl., The Nineteen Tragedies and Fragments of Euripides. … In Four Volumes, volume II, London: […] Thomas Payne and Son, […], →OCLC, page 210:
3. Not restrained by the law or by discipline; disorderly, unruly.
   • On why leaving lawless places and leaving pseudovirtuous groups is loving such places and groups

Forms

Deriveds

lawlessness · lawlessly

Translations (53)

nb lovlaus (not governed by the law) · nl wetteloos (not restrained by the law) · pl bezprawny (not governed by the law) · nl wetteloos (not governed by the law) · nl illegaal (prohibited) · cmn 無紀律的 /无纪律的 (not restrained by the law) · mi turekore (not restrained by the law) · bg незаконен (prohibited) · fi laiton (not restrained by the law) · da lovløs (not restrained by the law) · cmn 不受法律管轄的 /不受法律管辖的 (not governed by the law) · sv laglös (not governed by the law) · nn lovlaus (not governed by the law) · de gesetzlos (not restrained by the law) · mi turekore (not governed by the law) · grc ἄνομος (not governed by the law) · cmn 不受法律約束的 /不受法律约束的 (not restrained by the law) · fi laeista piittaamaton (not restrained by the law) · sv laglös (not restrained by the law) · bg необуздан (not restrained by the law) · pl bezprawny (prohibited) · cmn 混亂的 /混乱的 (not restrained by the law) · nl verboden (prohibited) · ka კანონგარეშე (prohibited) · pt desregrado (not restrained by the law) · pt sem lei (not governed by the law) · fi laiton (not governed by the law) · de gesetzwidrig (prohibited) · pl bezprawny (not restrained by the law) · nb lovløs (not restrained by the law) · da lovløs (not governed by the law) · nb lovlaus (not restrained by the law) · cy afreolus (not restrained by the law) · nn lovlaus (not restrained by the law) · cmn 違法的 /违法的 (prohibited) · fi lainvastainen (prohibited) · fi laiton (prohibited) · cmn 非法的 (prohibited) · fr sans foi ni loi (not restrained by the law) · pt sem lei (not restrained by the law) · de rechtsfrei (not governed by the law) · mi rāhui (prohibited) · cy digyfraith (not governed by the law) · nb lovløs (not governed by the law) · grc παράνομος (prohibited) · fr anarchique (not restrained by the law) · ka უკანონო (prohibited) · got 𐍅𐌹𐍄𐍉𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃 (not governed by the law) · cmn 無法統制的 /无法统制的 (not governed by the law) · nl onwettig (prohibited) · bg беззаконен (not governed by the law) · es ilegal (not governed by the law) · la illēx (not governed by the law)