ˈlȯlə̇s adjective
Etymology: Middle English lawelees, from lawe law + -lees -less
1.
a. : being without law : having no laws : not regulated by law
the lawless desert
thought is anarchic and lawless — Bertrand Russell
b. : not based on law
the lawless dictates of the conqueror
2. archaic : exempt from the operation of law
3.
a. : not restrained or controlled by consideration for a law (as of morality or decency) : unruly , disorderly
the frontier … produced a lawless class of Indian traders — H.E.Davis
b. : illegal
engaging in lawless activity until the police finally caught him
• law·less·ly adverb
• law·less·ness noun -es