Synonyms of anarchy

anarchy

noun

ˈa-nər-kē 

as in chaos

a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority

the anarchy that the country experienced after the dictator drained the treasury and fled the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

• chaos
• unrest
• lawlessness
• turmoil
• misrule
• strife
• upheaval
• turbulence
• disruption
• anarchism
• confusion
• havoc
• disorder
• riot
• rebellion
• revolution
• commotion
• disorganization
• disarray
• uprising
• disturbance
• mutiny
• criminality
• tumult
• disorderliness
• uproar
• misorder
• outlawry

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• law
• rule
• legitimacy
• legality
• lawfulness
• peace
• harmony
• tranquility
• order
• orderliness
• law-abidingness
• calmness
• peacefulness
• quiet
• peaceableness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of anarchy

Spielberg shifts tonal gears with practiced ease, a sense of awe going hand in hand with an ebullient comic anarchy. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 June 2026

Knicks fans have been leaning into the joke, posting TikTok edits foreshadowing Gotham-like anarchy. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 27 May 2026

The academic anarchy was touched off Thursday afternoon when operators of online education platform Canvas, used in K-12 schools and colleges across the globe, were forced to shut down after a hacker’s intrusion. — Griffin Eckstein, NBC news, 8 May 2026

Both had an opportunity to make a change after the anarchy of a 9-6 series opener. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 May 2026