lawlessness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, the reference to 1930s-era Chicago law enforcement was apt, because it was an era of police lawlessness, where unconstitutional practices like the third-degree were justified as necessary to stopping organized crime.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

Boon accused the state of being complicit in the lawlessness.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

A former Jack Smith prosecutor and a veteran corruption reporter map the vectors for lawlessness that many have missed.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

JOHANNESBURG—The corporate exodus from what was supposed to be Africa’s breakout economy is accelerating, propelled by a toxic cocktail of corruption, lawlessness and poor infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

The passage of Prohibition had only compounded the territory’s feeling of lawlessness by encouraging organized crime and creating, in the words of one historian, “the greatest criminal bonanza in American history.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann