lawless
/ˈlɔːləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɔːləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlȯ-ləs/ (ame, mw)
lawless — adjective
- lawlesspositive
- more lawlesscomparative
- most lawlesssuperlative
1. describes a place, time, or group where rules are ignored and crime happens free
describes a place, time, or group where rules are ignored and crime happens freely, or describes an action that breaks the law.
After the earthquake, the coastal town became a lawless place for almost a month.
attributive: a lawless place/town/area
Dario grew up in a lawless border region where smugglers controlled every road.
common collocation: lawless region/territory
The new mayor promised to clean up the lawless streets near the old harbour.
Heloísa was shocked by the lawless behaviour of the crowd during the festival.
For two terrible years after the war, the mountain villages were almost completely lawless.
- anarchic
more formal; emphasises total breakdown of authority and political disorder.
- unruly
milder; describes hard-to-control people or crowds, not full criminal absence of law.
- ungoverned
neutral; means no government control, without the strong criminal-violence implication.
- law-abiding
describes people or communities that obey the law.
- orderly
describes a peaceful, well-managed place or group.
文法句型
a lawless [place/group]
be lawless
用法筆記
Most often modifies a place, period of time, or group of people; can also describe specific acts ('lawless behaviour'). Strongly negative — implies both an absence of effective law enforcement and active wrongdoing.