anarchy

From New Latin anarchia, from Ancient Greek ἀναρχία (anarkhía).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.ə.ki/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: ănʹär-kē, IPA^(key): /ˈæn.ɑɹ.ki/, [ˈɛən.ɑɹ.ki]

  • Audio (New Jersey)

    (file)

anarchy (countable and uncountable, plural anarchies)

1. (uncountable) The state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.
2. (uncountable) Anarchism; the political theory that a community is best organized by the voluntary cooperation of individuals, rather than by a government, which is regarded as being coercive by nature.
3. (countable) A chaotic and confusing absence of any form of political authority or government.
4. Confusion in general; disorder.

• see Thesaurus:disorder

• (all senses): nonanarchy (rare)
• (disorder): order