lawless

[ law-lis ]
See synonyms for: lawlesslawlessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. contrary to or without regard for the law: lawless violence.

  2. being without law; uncontrolled by a law; unbridled; unruly; unrestrained: lawless passion.

  1. illegal: bootleggers' lawless activity.

Origin of lawless

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; from Middle English laweles; see law1, -less

Other words from lawless

  • law·less·ly, adverb
  • law·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby lawless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lawless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lawless

lawless

/ (ˈlɔːlɪs) /


adjective
  1. without law

  2. disobedient to the law

  1. contrary to or heedless of the law

  2. uncontrolled; unbridled: lawless rage

Derived forms of lawless

  • lawlessly, adverb
  • lawlessness, 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