Synonyms of lawless

lawless

adjective

ˈlȯ-ləs 

1

as in criminal

not restrained by or under the control of legal authority

the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• criminal
• rebellious
• anarchic
• illegal
• disorderly
• illicit
• unruly
• unlawful
• lawbreaking
• felonious
• defiant
• mutinous
• undisciplined
• insubordinate
• riotous
• wrongful
• illegitimate
• refractory
• disobedient
• intractable
• recalcitrant
• froward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• orderly
• legal
• lawful
• legitimate
• law-abiding
• legalized
• obedient
• docile
• submissive
• compliant
• tractable
• amenable

2

as in illegal

contrary to or forbidden by law

the level of lawless activity in the territory had reached the point where the authorities felt compelled to act

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illegal
• criminal
• unlawful
• illicit
• felonious
• wrongful
• illegitimate
• unauthorized
• forbidden
• immoral
• sinful
• criminalized
• prohibited
• shameful
• evil
• wicked
• reprehensible
• unethical
• wrong
• corrupt
• blameworthy
• unprincipled
• bad
• unlicensed
• unscrupulous
• proscribed
• unsanctioned
• outlawed
• barred
• contraband
• censurable
• villainous
• discouraged
• blamable
• interdicted
• under-the-table
• disallowed
• banned
• bootleg
• under-the-counter
• adulterine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• legal
• lawful
• legitimate
• righteous
• virtuous
• right
• ethical
• good
• permitted
• principled
• just
• authorized
• licensed
• approved
• endorsed
• proper
• promoted
• allowed
• correct
• supported
• decent
• sanctioned
• suggested
• decorous
• abetted
• seemly
• encouraged

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lawless

Besides, though the presence of armed vigilantes helped many in town feel safer, the fact remained that much of Michoacán was still lawless. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The show, Gunsmoke & Mirrors, is set in the late 19th century and chronicles the transformation of Christian Rørmose Madsen, who reinvented himself in the lawless crucible of the American West. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Both upheld the conviction, arguing that Hess's word choice was intended to incite and likely to result in lawless behavior. — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2026

Getting a new Middle East policy right requires rethinking the decision to prioritize relations with autocratic and lawless allies in the name of pragmatism. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026