lawlessness

plural lawlessnesses

1. countableuncountableA lack of law; a lack of law and order; anarchy.

   Near-synonyms: Wild West, free-for-all

   Synonyms: unlaw, illegality, illegalness, unlawfulness, unlaw, Wild West, free-for-all · Antonyms: law, rule of law, law and order, lawfulness, legality, legalness

2. countableuncountableDefiance of the law; outlawry, exorbitant levels of crime.

   We’re in decline because a spirit of lawlessness, shamelessness and brainlessness has become a leading feature of a conservative movement that was supposed to be a bulwark against all three.

   2023 August 28, Gail Collins and Bret Stephens, “Vivek Ramaswamy Is Suddenly Part of Our Political Life”, in The New York Times

   2 more examples

   The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, created in the 1950s to break the mob’s grip on the docks, became its own bastion of corruption and lawlessnesses, according to a scathing report from the released on Tuesday after a nearly two-year investigation by the state inspector general’s office.

   2009 December 8, Jennifer 8. Lee, “Corruption Found at Waterfront Watchdog”, in The New York Times

   The nation’s capital is no longer a Democrat-run nightmare of murder and lawlessness. Violent predators, gangbangers, drug traffickers, and sex offenders have been removed from the streets. Homeless encampments cleared. Parks reclaimed. Crime driven toward historic lows.

   2026 August 10, “One Year Later, President Trump Has Delivered on Making D.C. Safe Again”, in The White House, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2026

   Synonyms: unlaw, unlawfulness · Antonyms: lawfulness