Maffia

Maf´fi`a

n.	1.	A secret society which organized in Sicily as a political organization, but is now widespread among Italians, and is used to further or protect private interests, reputedly by illegal methods; called also the Sicilian Mafia.
	2.	A group of loosely associated of criminal organizations in the United States, some having ties to the Sicilian Mafia, and organized in "families"; the term is applied to the entire group of organizations, or to any one local group. Also, loosely, organized groups of criminals anywhere, as the Russian mafia.
	3.	Any tightly knit group of trusted associates having strong control or influence in some area; as, Kennedy and his Irish Mafia.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Maffia - a crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafia Cosa Nostra, Mafia omerta - a code of silence practiced by the Mafia; a refusal to give evidence to the police about criminal activities crime syndicate, syndicate, mob, family - a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities mafioso - a member of the Mafia crime syndicate in the United States
	2.	Maffia - a secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century Sicilian Mafia, Mafia act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear gangdom, gangland, organized crime - underworld organizations mafioso - a member of the Sicilian Mafia
	3.	maffia - any tightly knit group of trusted associates mafia colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech clique, coterie, ingroup, inner circle, camp, pack - an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose