1
as in anarchy
a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority
the western frontier was notorious for its lawlessness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crime
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
lawlessness in the city had reached an unconscionable and intolerable level
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lawlessness
What motivated their action was not lawlessness but consciousness.
—
Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
People's Liberation Army troops under Mao's control either ignored the violence or offered support to the insurrectionists while the country descended into lawlessness and retribution.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails.
—CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The series follows the wild, competitive world of America’s modern-day oil boom in Texas, which is filled with drama, backstabbing and even a little lawlessness.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Later, Venezuelans fled economic chaos and lawlessness under the repressive regimes of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
The sight of encampments and people in the throes of psychosis in the streets drives perceptions of lawlessness and danger, studies show.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But the lawlessness embodied in spheres-of-influence politics would most likely unleash an ever more frenzied scramble for the continent’s resources by predatory midsize powers.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The United States has now given Russia, China, and anyone else who wants to give it a try a road map for invading countries and capturing leaders who displease them, with a lawlessness that by comparison makes the 2003 invasion of Iraq seem as lawyered up as a bank merger.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
People's Liberation Army troops under Mao's control either ignored the violence or offered support to the insurrectionists while the country descended into lawlessness and retribution.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails.
—CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The series follows the wild, competitive world of America’s modern-day oil boom in Texas, which is filled with drama, backstabbing and even a little lawlessness.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Later, Venezuelans fled economic chaos and lawlessness under the repressive regimes of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
The sight of encampments and people in the throes of psychosis in the streets drives perceptions of lawlessness and danger, studies show.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But the lawlessness embodied in spheres-of-influence politics would most likely unleash an ever more frenzied scramble for the continent’s resources by predatory midsize powers.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The United States has now given Russia, China, and anyone else who wants to give it a try a road map for invading countries and capturing leaders who displease them, with a lawlessness that by comparison makes the 2003 invasion of Iraq seem as lawyered up as a bank merger.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawlessness
Noun
-
Through her eyes, flashes of life (and anarchy, and newness) still burst through.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Throwing one’s hands up, in resignation or indifference, captures the anarchy that seems to characterize our digital lives.—
Roger J. Kreuz,
Fortune,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
While the general grifter is allowed to reinvent themselves, be openly ambitious, and romanticize their crimes, the female grifter—and especially the SGG—is met with significantly less permission and a higher demand for likability.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
According to new information provided by Miami police on Friday, the department's Special Victims Unit has been actively investigating crimes against children involving Pittman, and an additional victim was identified.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At this time there is nothing to suggest any criminality with respect to their venture.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Police are investigating if any criminality was involved.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lawlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawlessness. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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