lawless
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes a place where there is no government or legal system to keep order.
describes a region or society lacking established legal structures or effective government control.
Simple“In the early days of the gold rush, the mining towns were completely lawless.”
In context“The remote border regions remained lawless for decades, as the central government lacked the resources to station permanent police forces there.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes people or behavior that ignores the law and acts in a wild or dangerous way.
characterized by a lack of restraint, discipline, or respect for legal authority; often implies unruly or criminal behavior.
Simple“The city became lawless during the blackout, with groups of people breaking into shops.”
In context“The protest turned into a lawless riot, forcing local businesses to board up their windows against the escalating violence.”
SynonymsAntonymslaw abidingdisciplined - 03 C1 Advanced
against the law or not allowed by legal rules.
contrary to or prohibited by law; often used in a formal or literary context to emphasize the immorality of an act.
Simple“The king was criticized for his lawless actions against his own people.”
In context“The tribunal condemned the general's lawless seizure of private property during the occupation.”
From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.