Definition of 'anomie'

Word Frequency

anomie in British

or anomy (ˈænəʊmɪ )

noun

sociology

lack of social or moral standards in an individual or society

Derived forms

anomic (əˈnɒmɪk )

adjective

Word origin of 'anomie'

from Greek anomia lawlessness, from a-1 + nomos law

Word Frequency

anomie in American

(ˈænəmi ; anˈəmē) or ˈanomy (ˈænəmi ; anˈəmē)

noun

lack of purpose, identity, or ethical values in a person or in a society; rootlessness

Derived forms

anomic (aˈnomic) (əˈnɑmɪk ; ənämˈik)

adjective

Word origin of 'anomie'

Fr < Gr anomia, lawlessness < a-, without + nomos, law: see -nomy

Example sentences containing 'anomie'

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`If we are," agreed King, who found that his anomie had, snarklike, mysteriously vanished away with the onset of action. Brandon, Ruth LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE (1971)His tutor there, he recalled, had made quite a speciality of anomie - had written a book about it, hadn't he? Brandon, Ruth LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE (1971)The phenomenon of anomie - namelessness, rootlessness, homelessness - that so delights the sociologists. Tapply, William G A RODENT OF DOUBT (1971)

] Dr Rhinehart's alienation and anomie apparently reached such a degree that he lost a single identity and became a multiple personality. George Cockcroft THE DICE MAN (1971)

Trends of 'anomie'

Used Occasionally. anomie is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'anomie'

Source

Definition of anomie from the Collins English Dictionary

Verbal nouns

The verbal noun is the -ing form, i.e. the present participle of the verb, used as a noun. It can be used in all the places that a noun can be used, but still keeps some characteristics of the verb. ...