Added 9 October 2026
lawless
/ˈlɔːləs/ adjective
In Latin: illēx Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lawless at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Without law or control.
the system is economically inefficient and politically anarchic
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Lax in enforcing laws.
a wide-open town
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Disobedient to or defiant of law.
lawless bands roaming the plains
Origin
From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)