anarchy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation where a country or place has no government or laws to control it.
the state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body. Uncountable in this abstract sense.
Simple“After the war ended, the country fell into anarchy for several months.”
In context“The sudden collapse of the central administration left the province in a state of total anarchy, with no police force to maintain public safety.”
SynonymslawlessnessstatelessnessAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the idea that people should live together and help each other without a government.
the political theory that a community is best organized by voluntary cooperation rather than by a coercive government.
Simple“The philosopher wrote a book about how anarchy could work in a small village.”
In context“The seminar explored the historical roots of anarchy as a serious political philosophy rather than just a synonym for violent disorder.”
UsageUsually uncountable.
Synonyms
From New Latin anarchia, from Ancient Greek ἀναρχία (anarkhía). By surface analysis, an- + -archy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.