noun
mass nounA state of disorder due to a disregard of the law.
‘the country's descent into lawlessness’
- ‘Throughout the spring politically motivated lawlessness mounted around the city.’
- ‘At that time there was persistent lawlessness, there were bandits, pirates, non-existent communications, areas of dense population, others of none.’
- ‘The political anarchy (disorder) of the 1970s and 1980s has led to lawlessness in parts of the country.’
- ‘Throughout the nation's history, however, there have been periodic explosions of violence and lawlessness.’
- ‘For the believers in society and community, however, such views raised the spectre of lawlessness and anarchic self-indulgence.’
- ‘Their commitment to fighting corruption and lawlessness has brought an end to the banditry once a feature of rural life in the country.’
- ‘They become trapped in a vicious circle in which poverty begets lawlessness and lawlessness begets more poverty.’
- ‘By the time he was born the South's undying racial tensions and growing lawlessness forced his parents out of town.’
- ‘There has been lots of looting and lawlessness, with government buildings, hospitals, schools, libraries and museums ransacked.’
- ‘They could be doing more, especially to stop brazen looting and rampant lawlessness that has added terror to the tragedy in the city.’