anarchy

[an-er-kee]

noun

1. a state of society without government or law.

2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control.

   The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.

   Synonyms: turmoil, disruption, lawlessness

3. anarchism.

4. lack of obedience to an authority; insubordination.

   the anarchy of his rebellious teenage years.

5. confusion and disorder.

   Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith.

   It was impossible to find the book I was looking for in the anarchy of his bookshelves.

   Synonyms: disintegration, disorganization, license, turbulence, disruption, chaos

anarchy

/ ˈænəkɪ, ænˈɑːkɪk /

noun

1. general lawlessness and disorder, esp when thought to result from an absence or failure of government

2. the absence or lack of government

3. the absence of any guiding or uniting principle; disorder; chaos

4. the theory or practice of political anarchism

Other Word Forms

• hyperanarchy noun
• proanarchy adjective
• anarchic adjective
• anarchically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of anarchy¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from Middle French anarchie or Medieval Latin anarchia or directly from Greek anarchía “lawlessness,” literally, “lack of a leader,” equivalent to ánarch(os) “leaderless” ( an- “without, lacking” + arch(ós) “leader” + -os adjective suffix) + -ia noun suffix; an- ¹, -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of anarchy¹

C16: from Medieval Latin anarchia, from Greek anarkhia, from anarkhos without a ruler, from _an- + arkh- leader, from arkhein to rule

Example Sentences

“We will continue to get to the bottom of who is funding these organizations and this organized anarchy against our country and our government,” Leavitt said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He appeared to mock the president when he said London was not "the wasteland of anarchy" it was sometimes portrayed.

Read more on BBC

During his speech the prime minister attacked "lies" that are being told about Britain and mocked figures who sought to portray London as "the wasteland of anarchy".

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The president has described the protesters as "animals" and vowed that "this anarchy will not stand".

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And, to be clear, there are some people who use protests like the ones against Trump’s immigration raids as a cover and excuse to pursue an extraneous agenda of violence and anarchy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chaos 
• confusion 
• disorder 
• disorganization 
• lawlessness 
• nihilism 
• riot 
• turmoil