Dictionary

lawlessness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (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 Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English lawlessness From lawless + -ness.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A lack of law; a lack of law and order; anarchy.
   • Near-synonyms: Wild West, free-for-all
2. (countable, uncountable) Defiance of the law; outlawry, exorbitant levels of crime.
   • We’re in decline because a spirit of lawlessness, shamelessness and brainlessness has become a leading feature of a conservative movement that was supposed to be a bulwark against all three. 2023 August 28, Gail Collins and Bret Stephens, “Vivek Ramaswamy Is Suddenly Part of Our Political Life”, in The New York Times:
   • The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, created in the 1950s to break the mob’s grip on the docks, became its own bastion of corruption and lawlessnesses, according to a scathing report from the released on Tuesday after a nearly two-year investigation by the state inspector general’s office. 2009 December 8, Jennifer 8. Lee, “Corruption Found at Waterfront Watchdog”, in The New York Times:
   • The nation’s capital is no longer a Democrat-run nightmare of murder and lawlessness. Violent predators, gangbangers, drug traffickers, and sex offenders have been removed from the streets. Homeless encampments cleared. Parks reclaimed. Crime driven toward historic lows. 2026 August 10, “One Year Later, President Trump Has Delivered on Making D.C. Safe Again”, in The White House, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2026:

Forms

Antonyms

law and order · law · legality · lawfulness · legalness · rule of law · lawfulness

Relateds

lawmaker · lawgiver

Synonyms

lawlessness · unlawfulness · unlaw · unlaw · unlawfulness · unlaw · illegality · free-for-all · illegalness · Wild West

Translations (55)

pt anarquia (lack of law and order) · nb akt (lack of law and order) · pl bezprawie (lack of law and order) · crh qanunsızlıq (lack of law and order) · da lovløshed (lack of law and order) · nn lovløyse (lack of law and order) · ko 무법 (lack of law and order) · be бяспра́ўе (lack of law and order) · uk беззако́ння (lack of law and order) · sh bezákonje (lack of law and order) · it illegalità (lack of law and order) · sh bèsprāvlje (lack of law and order) · nb lovløshet (lack of law and order) · sl brezzakonje (lack of law and order) · de Gesetzlosigkeit (lack of law and order) · ru беспреде́л (lack of law and order) · ga aindlí (lack of law and order) · sk nezákonnosť (lack of law and order) · cmn 無法無天 /无法无天 (lack of law and order) · nl wetteloosheid (lack of law and order) · da retsløshed (lack of law and order) · lv nelikumība (lack of law and order) · ro ilegalitate (lack of law and order) · hi अराजकता (lack of law and order) · hi अव्यवस्था (lack of law and order) · be беззако́нне (lack of law and order) · es iniquidad (lack of law and order) · it Far West (lack of law and order) · fa بیقانونی (lack of law and order) · az hüquqsuzluq (lack of law and order) · ro anarhie (lack of law and order) · mi turekoretanga (lack of law and order) · sh беза́коње (lack of law and order) · sk bezprávie (lack of law and order) · sv laglöshet (lack of law and order) · ru беспра́вие (lack of law and order) · el ανομία (lack of law and order) · de Zügellosigkeit (lack of law and order) · ru беззако́ние (lack of law and order) · ja 無法 (lack of law and order) · el αναρχία (lack of law and order) · pl swawola (lack of law and order) · bg беззако́ние (lack of law and order) · ar عَدَم وُجُود قَوَانِين (lack of law and order) · mk беззаконитост (lack of law and order) · uk безпра́в'я (lack of law and order) · cs nezákonnost (lack of law and order) · cs bezpráví (lack of law and order) · sh бѐспра̄вље (lack of law and order) · nb fredløshet (lack of law and order) · fr illégalité (lack of law and order) · fr anarchie (lack of law and order) · fi laittomuus (lack of law and order) · az qanunsuzluq (lack of law and order) · az özbaşınalıq (lack of law and order)