What does anomic mean?
Anomic is an adjective describing conditions, groups, or individuals affected by anomie—the state that arises when a society's shared norms and values weaken or collapse, leaving people uncertain how to act and disconnected from a sense of purpose. Rooted in a Greek word for 'lawlessness,' the concept was given its modern force by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim, who used it to explain phenomena such as rising suicide rates during periods of economic upheaval. To call a community anomic is therefore to portray it as normless and adrift: its members may be materially provided for yet feel isolated, restless, and without clear standards to guide them. Because the term belongs mainly to sociology and social commentary, it lends writing a scholarly tone, appearing most often in phrases such as 'anomic society' or 'anomic conditions.' It is a useful word for anyone seeking to describe precisely that modern mood of rootlessness that comes not from poverty or conflict, but from the quiet erosion of shared meaning.
adjectiveRelating to or characterized by anomie—a state of social breakdown in which accepted norms and values lose their force, leaving individuals feeling disconnected and purposeless.
- Relating to or marked by anomie: the condition in which social norms are confused, absent, or no longer binding, producing feelings of isolation and purposelessness.
"Sociologists described the refugee camp as an anomic environment where old loyalties had dissolved faster than new ones could form."
"After the factory closed, the town took on an anomic character, its residents unsure what rules or routines still applied to their lives."
"Durkheim argued that rapid economic change produces anomic states in which individuals lose sight of what is realistically attainable."
The word traces back to Greek for 'lawlessness'—and it was sociologist Émile Durkheim who turned it into the classic label for what happens to people when society's rules suddenly stop meaning anything.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anomic
Anomic derives ultimately from the Greek 'anōmos,' meaning 'lawless,' formed from 'a-' ('without') and 'nomos' ('law' or 'custom')—the same root that gives us words like autonomy, economy, and astronomy. The term entered English through the French 'anomie,' which nineteenth- and early twentieth-century sociologists, most famously Émile Durkheim in his 1897 study of suicide, adopted as a technical term for the collapse of social norms. The adjective 'anomic' arose as the natural English derivative of that sociological noun, describing anything characterized by this condition of normlessness.
Related word forms
How anomic is actually used
Anomic is primarily a technical term in sociology and psychology, so it appears mostly in academic writing and serious journalism rather than casual conversation. It is almost always used attributively (an anomic society, anomic conditions). The related noun 'anomie' is considerably more familiar than the adjective.
Easily confused with anomic
Anemic means lacking vigor or suffering from anemia, while anomic refers to the breakdown or absence of social norms and a sense of disconnection from society.
Atonic means lacking muscular tone or stress accent in linguistics, whereas anomic describes social normlessness and personal disorientation.