lawless

[law-lis] / ˈlɔ lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

reckless, ungoverned

Synonyms

STRONGEST

anarchic barbarous chaotic turbulent unruly violent

WEAK

anarchical anarchistic bad contumacious criminal despotic disobedient disordered disorderly evil fierce heterodox infringing insubordinate insurgent mutinous nihilistic noncompliant nonconformist piratical rebellious recusant revolutionary riotous savage seditious tempestuous terrorizing traitorous tyrannous uncivilized uncultivated unorthodox unpeaceful unrestrained untamed warlike wild

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm mild moderate obedient

WEAK

governed lawful legal legitimate licit proper rightful valid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One street we visited in the West Midlands was described as "lawless" by an anonymous law enforcement source.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

We may live in an increasingly lawless society, but that doesn’t mean all significance should be abandoned at will.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

From the jump, though, they saw Dead City as something communal yet lawless.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Their country has become lawless in many places and they want relief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

“That place is just a lawless heap of rocks, a no-man’s-land.”

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Vocabulary lists containing lawless

Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Wrong

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!