anarchy
anarchy Lexical Profile
anarchy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state of disorder, confusion, and lawlessness resulting from the absence or failure of governing authority.
"When the central administration collapsed, the region quickly descended into economic and social anarchy."
The absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded in political philosophy as a cooperative social ideal.
"Several nineteenth-century theorists envisioned anarchy not as chaos, but as a peaceful community based on mutual aid."
Word Nuance & Usage
In everyday usage, 'anarchy' carries a strong negative connotation of violent chaos and lawlessness, whereas in political philosophy it neutrally denotes a stateless society organized through voluntary cooperation.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century via Medieval Latin from Ancient Greek 'anarkhia' ('lack of a leader'), formed from the privative prefix 'an-' ('without') and 'arkhos' ('ruler' or 'chief').