anarchic

adjective

an·​ar·​chic a-ˈnär-kik 

ə-

variants or less commonly anarchical

a-ˈnär-ki-kəl 

ə-

1

a

: of, relating to, or advocating anarchy

b

: likely to bring about anarchy

anarchic violence

2

: lacking order, regularity, or definiteness

anarchic art forms

anarchically

a-ˈnär-ki-k(ə-)lē 

ə-

adverb

Synonyms of anarchic

• rebellious
• criminal
• disorderly
• illicit
• illegal
• lawless

Examples of anarchic in a Sentence

the citywide blackouts caused anarchic looting and rioting

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to the anarchic Russian civil war, no one is entirely clear on who really controls the city, and the only constant is the threat of violence. —The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

The Dark Knight redefined what a superhero film could be, eschewing camp for a gritty crime drama whose cool color palette, brooding hero, and anarchic villain cast a shadow over the genre for decades. —Eliana Dockterman, Time, 12 May 2026

Formed in the late 2010s, the band was inspired by the anarchic creativity of Japanese noise acts like Melt-Banana, Solmania, and Boredoms. —Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026

Europe’s three major institutions, Bologna, Paris and Oxford, welcomed between 1,000 and 2,500 students each in these early decades, and conditions were sprawling, anarchic and provisional. —Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from New Latin anarchicus, from Medieval Latin anarchia anarchy + Latin -icus -ic entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for anarchic

• hierarchic
• oligarchic

Kids Definition

anarchic

adjective

an·​ar·​chic a-ˈnär-kik 

ə-

: of or relating to anarchy

anarchically

-ki-k(ə-)lē 

adverb