The abstract noun form denoting violation of law, decency, or proper order. Classical authors used it for acts that transgressed civic norms or legal boundaries, sometimes personifying it as a force opposed to justice. In 2 Peter 2:16, Balaam's donkey rebukes the prophet's lawlessness—his greedy pursuit of divination fees contrary to God's command. The term marks conduct that defies established moral and legal boundaries, whether divine or human.