lawlessness

American  

[law-lis-nis] / ˈlɔ lɪs nɪs /

noun

1. the quality or condition of being without regard for the law; behavior that is contrary to or shows indifference to the law.

   Unfortunately, a lot of confusion, lawlessness, stupidity, and even death surrounds alcohol use in college settings.

2. the state or condition of being without law or law enforcement to provide control or restraint.

   For several months, the emerging nation looked as if it would slip into lawlessness and civil war.

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Etymology

Origin of lawlessness

First recorded in 1585–95; lawless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

But this misses a critical point: The Epstein file dump is not simply playing out as a backdrop against which other acts of American lawlessness are occurring.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

JOHANNESBURG—The corporate exodus from what was supposed to be Africa’s breakout economy is accelerating, propelled by a toxic cocktail of corruption, lawlessness and poor infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

And yet, in a version of Britain the rest of Europe has abandoned to death and lawlessness, Kelson survives because of his dedication to artistic and scientific curiosity.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

“His lawlessness inspired lawlessness. His rejection of norms called norms into question,” she notes.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Doppler’s example returned to Mendel: there was music behind noise, laws behind seeming lawlessness, and only a profoundly artificial experiment—creating hybrids out of purebred strains carrying simple traits—could reveal these underlying patterns.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• chaos
• confusion
• disorder
• terrorism