lawless

CEFRC1

/ˈlɔːləs/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Not controlled by laws or showing respect for them.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Not restrained by the law or by discipline; disorderly, unruly.

Examples

  • Better the naked and the honest than the rich and lawless.

  • In a lawless outpost deep within the desert, everybody wore football shoulder pads and mohawks.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Prohibited by law; unlawful, illegal.

  2. Not governed by any law.

More examples

In context

  • On why leaving lawless places and leaving pseudovirtuous groups is loving such places and groups

  • For ſure the Gods / Are not devoid of wiſdom, but perceive / What oaths are lawleſs and by force extorted.

  • This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men, That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile, Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After the natural disaster, the city became blank due to the lack of police.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).