Meaning

noun a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)

noun illegality as a consequence of unlawful acts; defiance of the law

originEtymology 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 Proto-Germanic *-in-…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0