Synonyms of lawlessness

lawlessness

noun

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

• crime
• criminality
• corruption
• lawbreaking
• evil
• racketeering
• malfeasance
• outlawry
• misconduct
• immorality
• gangsterism
• wickedness
• wrongdoing
• hooliganism
• sin
• depravity
• trespass
• transgression
• misdeed
• offense
• malefaction
• misdoing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lawlessness

Still, Nixon created a blueprint for presidential lawlessness that Trump imitated and greatly expanded. — Elizabeth Holtzman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026

At the same time, there were many voices worried about the potential lawlessness. — Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Watson’s family implored Ruff to impose the maximum sentence, saying Sayers’ cruelty, lawlessness and hypocrisy were unforgivable. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 25 July 2026

But its ferocity led right-wing broadcasters and influencers to start talking about a new kind of urban lawlessness enabled by liberal social policies. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Our founders did not envision a nation with an open border and lawlessness. — Scott Singer, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

His answer to lawlessness was not to fight it with more lawlessness. — Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026

Americans are accustomed to showing wide deference to senior military leaders, treating them as dutiful public servants rather than possible enablers of presidential lawlessness. — Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Ramaphosa accused these groups of exploiting migration anxieties to sow division through lawlessness and violence. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 June 2026