anarchy
a state with no ruler or governing order
Roots
- a- / an-: not, without, or lacking
- arch / ruler: rule, chief authority, or ruler
Other words with the arch / ruler root
Anarchy is no-ruler: authority has disappeared or failed to hold.
After the council collapsed the town slipped into anarchy.
A- removes; arch gives ruler or chief authority. Anarchy is not just mess. It is disorder shaped by the absence of governing authority.