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lawless

adjective

  1. not guided by/subject to/bound by/controlled by a law
L338076 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈlɔːləs/

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *lagą Old Norse lag Old Norse lǫgbor. Old English lagu Middle English lawe Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les Middle English laweles English lawless From Middle English laweles; equivalent to law + -less. Cognate with Danish lovløs (“lawless”), Swedish laglös (“lawless”), Norwegian lovløs (“lawless”), Icelandic löglaus (“lawless”).

  1. Not governed by any law.
  2. Prohibited by law; unlawful, illegal.

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

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

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

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

name

Etymology: From Middle English laweles (“lawless”), a nickname for an unrestrained and licentious man.

  1. A surname from Middle English.