lawless

[law-lis]

See more synonyms for lawless on Thesaurus.com

adjective

contrary to or without regard for the law: lawless violence.
being without law; uncontrolled by a law; unbridled; unruly; unrestrained: lawless passion.
illegal: bootleggers' lawless activity.

Origin of lawless

First recorded in 1150–1200, lawless is from the Middle English word laweles. See law¹, -less

Related formslaw·less·ly, adverblaw·less·ness, noun

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

Related Words for lawless

barbarous, chaotic, turbulent, violent, unruly, anarchic, bad, contumacious, criminal, despotic, disobedient, disordered, disorderly, evil, fierce, heterodox, insubordinate, insurgent, mutinous, nihilistic

Examples from the Web for lawless

Contemporary Examples of lawless

The lawless law enforcement in eastern Ukraine exists somewhere between Soviet rule and vigilante justice.
The Corrupt Cops of Rebel-Held East Ukraine
Kristina Jovanovski
December 11, 2014
The horrific case of an abandoned baby with Down syndrome has exposed the lawless world of international surrogacy.
The Wild, Wild West of Thai Surrogacy
Emily Shire
August 7, 2014
“The methamphetamine trade has made Wyoming revert to the lawless anarchy of the Old West,” he remarked pungently.
The Myths of Matthew Shepard’s Infamous Death
Stephen Jimenez
September 22, 2013
If you are willing to shoot your mother in the face you are lawless.
Pro-Gun Advocates Push Back Against Gun Control After Newtown
David Freedlander
December 20, 2012
It even had a name, Waziristan House, after one of the most lawless districts along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Dr. Afridi’s Warning: Pakistan’s Hatred of the United States
Bruce Riedel
September 12, 2012

Historical Examples of lawless

Now don't fancy that Lawless and I are going to run away with you.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Which of us are you afraid of, Lawless, or me, or yourself?'
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
The fierce and lawless shall assume the figure of the unrelenting wolf.
Imogen
William Godwin
He spoke frankly and with considerable regret of these lawless years.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
He had high animal spirits, and engaged in lawless enterprises.
Bunyan
James Anthony Froude

British Dictionary definitions for lawless

lawless

adjective

without law
disobedient to the law
contrary to or heedless of the law
uncontrolled; unbridledlawless rage

Derived Formslawlessly, adverblawlessness, noun

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 lawless

adj.

c.1200, lawelese (see law + -less) Related: Lawlessly; lawlessness.