Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Medieval Latin
Origin: anarchia, from Greek, from anarchos 'having no ruler', from an- 'without' + archos 'ruler'

anarchy

 noun
     
an‧ar‧chy [uncountable]
a situation in which there is no effective government in a country or no order in an organization or situation:
The prison is close to anarchy.
slide/fall/descend into anarchy
The nation is in danger of falling into anarchy.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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