anomie

Dictionary

anomie |ˈanəˌmē| (also anomy)

noun

lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group : the theory that high-rise architecture leads to anomie in the residents. DERIVATIVES anomic |əˈnämik; əˈnō-| adjective ORIGIN 1930s: from French, from Greek anomia, from anomos ‘lawless.’