Quick Definition
ἄνομος, ον Adj lawless, sinful, illegal
Strong's Definition
from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3551; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked
KJV Usage: without law, lawless, transgressor, unlawful, wicked
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ον | ἀ- + νομίζω
88.140 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Act Lawlessly
lawless (derivative of ἀνομία ‘to live lawlessly,’ 88.139) pertaining to living without regard to law, in the sense of refusing to obey laws
33.57 · Communication · Written Language
without the Law pertaining to being without the Law (specifically the first five books of the OT) Even from the two contexts of 1CO 9:21 and ROM 2:12, it should be clear that ἄνομος[b] and ἀνόμως carry quite different implications in different contexts. In 1CO 9:21 a phrase such as ‘without the Law’ must be understood in the sense of ‘not being under obligation to the Law’ or ‘not being bound by the Law,’ and so 1CO 9:21 must be translated in a number of languages as ‘with those who are not bound by the Law, I live as one who is not bound by the Law,’ referring in these instances to the Law of Moses. It is important, however, in rendering the expression ‘not bound by the Law’ to avoid a phrase which would mean ‘lawless’ or ‘heedless of the Law.’ In the case of ROM 2:12, the phrase ‘without the Law’ must refer to those who are ignorant of the Law and thus are not bound by it, and so ROM 2:12 must be rendered in some languages as ‘those who sin without knowing anything about the Law are lost, but quite apart from any relationship to the Law.’
For another interpretation of ἄνομος in 1CO 9:21, see 11.42.
adjc. | -ου | ἀ- + νομίζω
11.42 · Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes · Socio-Religious
Gentile, heathen, pagan a non-Jew who lives completely without reference to the Jewish Law For another interpretation of ἄνομος in 1CO 9:21, see 33.57.
In a number of contexts, it may be best to speak of ‘Gentiles’ as ‘those who are not Jews.’ In some languages the equivalent of ‘Gentiles’ is simply ‘foreigners,’ but one must be very certain that the use of a term meaning ‘foreigners’ will actually designate non-Jews rather than those people who do not speak the particular receptor language.
It would be a serious mistake to render ἄνομος as ‘lawless’ on the basis of its etymology. To speak of a ‘lawless person’ is to imply that he transgresses existing laws rather than being one who is not subject to the Mosaic Law.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἄνομος, -ov, (νόμος) ; 1. destitute of (the Mosaic) law: used of Gentiles, 1 Co. ix. 21, (without any suggestion of ‘iniquity’; just asin Add. to Esth. iv. 42, where ἄνομοι ἀπερίτμητοι and ἀλλότριοι are used together). 2. departing from the law, a violator of the law, lawless, wicked; (Vulg. iniquus; [also injustus]): Mk. xv. 28 [Β LTrbr.]; Lk. xxii. 37; Acts ii. 23, (so in Grk. writ.) ; opp. to ὁ δίκαιος, 1 Tim.i.9; ὁ ἄνομος (κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν). he in whom all iniquity has as it were fixed its abode, 2 Th. ii.8; ἄν. ἔργον an unlawful deed, 2 Pet. ii. 8; free from law, not subject to law, [Vulg. sine lege]: μὴ ὧν ἄνομος θεοῦ [B. 169 (147)] (Rec. θεῷ), 1 Co. ix. 21. (Very often in Sept.) [Sy¥n. see ἀνομία, fin.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἄνομος anomos 9x
lawless, without law, not subject to law, 1 Cor. 9:21; lawless, violating law, wicked, impious, Acts 2:23; a transgressor, Mk. 15:28; Lk. 22:37
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἄ-νομος, -ον
(ἀ. neg., νόμος), [in LXX for עָוֺן, פֶּשַׁע, רֶשַׁע, etc.;]
lawless, wicked: Mk 15:28, Lk 22:37, Ac 2:23, I Ti 1:9, II Pe 2:8; ὁ ἄ., II Th 2:8 (= ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας, II Th 2:3).
without law (= οἱ μὴ ὑπὸ νόμον, Ro 2:14): I Co 9:21 (MM, VGT, s.v.).†
SYN.: v.s. ἄθεσμος.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἄνομος. P Oxy II. 237% (a.p. 186), the Dionysia petition, has ἀνόμου κατοχῆς, ‘‘an illegal claim.” ἀνομία and ἀδικία may be seen in the associated adjectives of P Lond 35819 (c. a.p. 150) (=II. p. 172), where ἄνομα καὶ ἄδικα are complained of. Cf. 70.57 10473 τοῦ ἀνόμου Τυφῶνος. For the adverb see Magd 6" (8.6. 221) μὴ περιιδεῖμ με ἀνόμως ὑβριζόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ποιμένων, and BGU IV. 1200°° (B.c. 2-1) ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντες τῶι ᾿Ασκληπιάδου a. ἀποδέδωκαν κτλ. The construction in 1 Cor 951 μὴ Oy ἄνομος θεοῦ is illustrated in Profeg. p. 235 f. The verb ἀνομέω as a transitive appears in P Par 3748 (ii/B.c.) ἀξιῶ... μὴ ὑπεριδεῖν με ἠνομημένον καὶ ἐγκεκλειμένον : cf. 26. 35°4 (by the same writer), with the same combination in the present (passive). The closeness of avoobow occurs in the fragmentary P Lips I. 119 recto (A.D. 274) τ]ῶν ἁμαρτιῷ[ν] τὰς πονηρίας συνεχῶϊς ἀϊνορθουμένων. For the sense of “rear again,” as Ac 1518, cf. OG/S 7108 (ii/a.D.) τὸ πίρ]οπύλα[ιον] χρόνῳ [διαφθαρὲ]ν [ἀἸνώρθωσεν ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου ᾿Απολλώνιος ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθῶι. The noun occurs in Ρ Ryl Il. 157} (A.D. 135) ἔσται δὲ ἡ ἀνόρθωσις τῶν [νῦν ἀποκαθι]στανομένων κοινῶν [τ]ειχῶ[ν] ἀπὸ κ]οινῶν λ[ηϊμμάτων ‘the restoration of the common walls” (Edd.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἄνομος (anomos) — lawless. ἄνομος, ον, lawless, impious, τράπεζα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; of persons, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of things, θυσία[Refs 4th c.BC+]; πάθη E [Refs 5th c.BC+]lawless acts, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: comparative -ώτερος[Refs 5th c.BC+]. adverb -μως[Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. with genitive, ἀ. θεοῦ, i.e. without (the Mosaic) Law and therefore without God, [NT]adverb ἀνόμως, ={χωρὶς νόμου}, [NT]
3. illegal, κατοχή[Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. (νόμος[Refs] unmusical, νόμος ἄ.[Refs 4th c.BC+]