anomie

an·o·mie

noun \ˈa-nə-mē\

Definition of ANOMIE

: social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and uncertainty that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals

— ano·mic \ə-ˈnä-mik, -ˈnō-\ adjective

Variants of ANOMIE

an·o·mie also an·o·my \ˈa-nə-mē\

Origin of ANOMIE

French anomie, from Middle French, from Greek anomia lawlessness, from anomos lawless, from a- + nomos law, from nemein to distribute — more at nimble

First Known Use: 1933

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

an·o·mie

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ANOMIE

: social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values; also : personal unrest, alienation, and anxiety that comes from a lack of purpose or ideals

Variants of ANOMIE

an·o·mie also an·o·my \ˈan-ə-mē\ (audio pronunciation)

anomie

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In the social sciences, a condition of social instability or personal unrest resulting from a breakdown of standards and values or from a lack of purpose or ideals. The term was introduced in 1897 by Émile Durkheim, who believed that one type of suicide (anomic) resulted from the breakdown of social standards that people need and use to regulate their behavior. Robert K. Merton studied the causes of anomie in the U.S., finding it severest in persons who lack acceptable means of achieving their cultural goals. Delinquency, crime, and suicide are often reactions to anomie. See also alienation.