a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)
"After the election results were disputed, the country descended into anarchy as police abandoned their posts and looters took over the streets."
The state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.
"The sudden collapse of central power plunged the city into chaos, leaving every neighborhood to govern itself in a complete state of anarchy."
The word "anarchy" comes from the New Latin term anarchia, which was borrowed from the Ancient Greek anarkhía. It is formed by combining the prefix an- with the root for rule or authority to mean a state without government.