anomie

or an·o·my

[an-uh-mee]

noun Sociology.

a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by a breakdown or absence of social norms and values, as in the case of uprooted people.

Origin of anomie

1930–35; < French < Greek anomía lawlessness. See a-⁶, -nomy

Related formsa·nom·ic

[uh-nom-ik] /əˈnɒm ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for anomie

anomie

anomy

noun

sociol lack of social or moral standards in an individual or society

Derived Formsanomic (əˈnɒmɪk), adjective

Word Origin for anomie

from Greek anomia lawlessness, from a- 1 + nomos law

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anomie

"absence of accepted social values," 1933, from Durkheim's "Suicide" (1897); a reborrowing with French spelling of anomy.