lawless

adjective

law·​less ˈlȯ-ləs How to pronounce lawless (audio)
1
: not regulated by or based on law
2
a
: not restrained or controlled by law : unruly
b
lawlessly adverb
lawlessness noun

Examples of lawless in a Sentence

the lawless society of the frontier the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight
Recent Examples on the Web Where Yemen is lawless and violent, Oman is almost impossibly sedate and tidy, an Arab Switzerland. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 Wild melees, unruly crowds, brazen shootings that included two homicides, stampedes and lawless behavior – some of which were captured in viral videos on social media – ran rampant through the streets of South Beach. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024 Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas doesn’t bear ultimate responsibility for the administration’s lawless policy at the southern border. The Editors, National Review, 12 Jan. 2024 Anyone concerned about the lawless power of the administrative state should be watching. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024 These products dramatically altered YouTube’s relationship with the music industry, turning the lawless wasteland of the early twenty-first century into the industry’s Elysian Fields. John Seabrook, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 So, of course, should anyone who has watched Joe Biden act as a lawless rogue, dispense public money without congressional appropriations like a king, and threaten to borrow money without the consent of Congress and issue debt backed only by executive fiat. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 23 Jan. 2024 Our policies to support law enforcement officers, eliminate riots, keep criminals off the streets, and remove lawless prosecutors from office have kept Florida at a 50-year crime low and have brought new law enforcement recruits to Florida from all 50 states. Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024 In addition to the dangers in the lawless region from al-Shabab, clan militias and criminal gangs also operate there. Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lawless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lawless was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lawless

Cite this Entry

“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawless. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lawless

adjective
law·​less ˈlȯ-ləs How to pronounce lawless (audio)
1
: not based on or regulated by law
the lawless society of the frontier
2
: not controlled by law : unruly, disorderly
lawless mob
lawlessly adverb
lawlessness noun

Legal Definition

lawless

adjective
law·​less
1
: not restrained or controlled by law
2
: illegal
a lawless act
lawlessly adverb
lawlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lawless

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