lawlessness
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
Etymology
Origin of lawlessness
First recorded in 1585–95; lawless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Still, the reference to 1930s-era Chicago law enforcement was apt, because it was an era of police lawlessness, where unconstitutional practices like the third-degree were justified as necessary to stopping organized crime.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Boon accused the state of being complicit in the lawlessness.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
A former Jack Smith prosecutor and a veteran corruption reporter map the vectors for lawlessness that many have missed.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Windward AI's Michelle Wiese Bockmann calls the area "an epicentre of maritime lawlessness", where dozens of tankers gather to store or transfer Iranian oil.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
The passage of Prohibition had only compounded the territory’s feeling of lawlessness by encouraging organized crime and creating, in the words of one historian, “the greatest criminal bonanza in American history.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
