lawless
adj.adj. describing a place or situation where there are no laws or where people do not follow the rules. It often feels dangerous because the police or government have no control.
adj. characterised by a lack of legal order or a failure to enforce existing statutes. Often describes a state of anarchy or a specific geographical area where institutional authority is absent.
The frontier was a lawless place where everyone carried a gun.
After the central government collapsed, the border regions became lawless territories ruled by local gangs.
Historians often debate whether the early gold-rush settlements were truly lawless or if they simply operated under informal social contracts that preceded formal legislation.
From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).
Typically used attributively before a noun like 'society', 'region', or 'behavior'.