lawless

adjective

ˈlȯ-ləs How to pronounce lawless (audio)
Definition of lawlessnext
1
as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority the lawless rioters were destroying everything in sight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law the level of lawless activity in the territory had reached the point where the authorities felt compelled to act

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lawless Everybody on our side understands that impeachment is a critical tool in the toolbox for constitutional self-defense against a president acting like a king, an imperious, lawless, arrogant king. — NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026 Besides, though the presence of armed vigilantes helped many in town feel safer, the fact remained that much of Michoacán was still lawless. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The show, Gunsmoke & Mirrors, is set in the late 19th century and chronicles the transformation of Christian Rørmose Madsen, who reinvented himself in the lawless crucible of the American West. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 Both upheld the conviction, arguing that Hess's word choice was intended to incite and likely to result in lawless behavior. — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lawless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawless
  1. criminal
  2. unlawful
  3. rebellious
  4. illicit
  5. anarchic
  6. felonious
  7. disorderly
Adjective
  • The police spokesperson said Perez was taken into custody without incident and charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The leader of one of Haiti’s most powerful criminal organizations said the Salvadorans were killed in territory controlled by Chen Mechan, an allied gang.
    — Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Runa’s incarceration – and death months after her release – is now the subject of a lawsuit brought by her mother against Hyogo Prefectural Police alleging unlawful arrest and detention.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, the seizure was ruled unlawful by the California Supreme Court.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlawful
Adjective
  • Converse and Vaquera are coming together again with a rebellious spirit.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In the episode on the 1993 timeline, the team intervenes when a general’s rebellious teen son is targeted by a dangerous former gang member.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • So far, the most plausible driver of recent declines in overdose deaths is a change in the illicit drug supply.
    — J. Travis Donahoe, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But how and through whom the money flowed into the Alpha account revealed that it was intended to remain secret, more akin to a covert and illicit scheme, given that it was managed in part by a senior advisor to the president of the United States.
    — Matthew Cole, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • But while our online worlds have since expanded, the real-world space for anarchic creativity has shrunk.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The poet, Pavese implies, is a creature of Chaos—that anarchic state in which good is mixed with bad and monsters mingle with men and gods.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of anarchic
Adjective
  • Joshua Shakur Leroy Cawthon, 18, was charged with one count of first-degree animal killing or torturing, one count of felonious assault, and one count of domestic violence.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The two were sentenced in Michigan to one year of probation in December 2025, and pleaded guilty to felonious telecommunications fraud in Ohio in 2022.
    — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of felonious
Adjective
  • Michael Knight is charged with making a false report about a bomb and disorderly intoxication.
    — Bri Buckley, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The drunk-and-disorderly charge is linked to a December incident, in which Minton is accused of shouting and cursing at patrons of a tattoo studio in Hickory, court records show.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disorderly

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lawgivers
lawless
lawlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Lawless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawless. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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