anarchic

adjective

an·​ar·​chic a-ˈnär-kik How to pronounce anarchic (audio)
ə-
variants or less commonly anarchical
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 adverb

Examples of anarchic in a Sentence

the citywide blackouts caused anarchic looting and rioting
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are not many taboos at Burning Man, so those that persist at the otherwise staunchly anarchic event do so for a reason. Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025 Reiner could be called a journeyman director, except what kind of journeyman director could make a movie as confident as When Harry Met Sally, or as anarchic as This Is Spinal Tap, or one that juggles as many tones as The Princess Bride? Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025 The film was One Battle After Another, Anderson’s high-octane adaptation of Vineland, Thomas Pynchon’s anarchic 1990 novel about a crew of former leftist revolutionaries — the French 75 — living in a slightly more dystopian version of present-day America. Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 Its conceit is a neat one for a film — and totally believable for a family history from anarchic Eastern Europe after the Second World War. Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anarchic

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of anarchic was circa 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anarchic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchic. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

anarchic

adjective
an·​ar·​chic a-ˈnär-kik How to pronounce anarchic (audio)
ə-
: of or relating to anarchy
anarchically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on anarchic

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