lawlessness
n. C1 Advanced US //ˈɫɔɫəsnəs// UK //lˈɔːləsnəs// law·less·ness
n. a state where there is no law or order. It means people do not follow rules and there is no police to stop them.
n. the absence of legal order or the lack of enforcement of laws. Often describes a state of anarchy or a breakdown in social discipline.
The city suffered from lawlessness after the government collapsed.
The sudden lawlessness in the border region made it dangerous for any traveler to pass through without a guide.
Historians often debate whether the lawlessness of the frontier was a necessary catalyst for innovation or a chaotic period that hindered long-term economic stability.
From lawless + -ness.