lawless

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔːləs/

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• Rhymes: -ɔːləs

lawless (comparative more lawless, superlative most lawless)

1. Not governed by any law.
2. Prohibited by law; unlawful, illegal.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

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

   • 1782, Euripides, “Iphegenia in Aulis”, in Michael Wodhull, transl., The Nineteen Tragedies and Fragments of Euripides. [...] In Four Volumes, volume II, London: […] Thomas Payne and Son, […], →OCLC, page 210:

     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.

• lawlessness

• Wassell