← Back to Fala2Me

lawless area

[/ˈlɔːləs ˈɛəriə/]
nounpl: lawless areas
área sem lei
1. A region or territory where law and order are not enforced or do not exist; a place characterized by the absence of legal authority and governance
The remote region became a lawless area after the government collapsed.
A região remota tornou-se uma área sem lei após o colapso do governo.
2. A district marked by criminal activity, violence, and disregard for legal rules
Drug cartels control the lawless area in the border region.
Os cartéis de drogas controlam a área sem lei na região fronteiriça.
NYC Slang
the jungle; the badlands; no-go zone
Synonyms
ungoverned territorylawless regionno-man's landanarchy zonewild territory
Antonyms
law-abiding areagoverned territorycivilized regionordered jurisdiction

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
área sem lei
Standard term used across Brazil
São Paulo
zona de risco
Often used to describe dangerous urban areas without effective law enforcement
Rio de Janeiro
área dominada
Commonly refers to territories controlled by drug gangs or criminal organizations
Portugal
território sem lei
More formal phrasing used in Portuguese Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

Wild West situation
every man for himself
might makes right
survival of the fittest
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →