Ma·fi·a (mä f - )n. 1. A secret criminal organization operating mainly in the United States and Italy and engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, drug-dealing, protection, and prostitution. 2. Any of various similar criminal organizations, especially when dominated by members of the same nationality. 3. A secret criminal organization operating mainly in Sicily since the early 19th century and known for its intimidation of and retribution against law enforcement officials and witnesses. 4. often mafia Informal A tightly knit group of trusted associates, as of a political leader: "[He] is one of the personal mafia that [the chancellor] brought with him to Bonn" (Christian Science Monitor). [Italian, perhaps from dialectal mafia, bluster, boldness.] |
Mafia
Noun
the Mafia a secret criminal organization founded in Sicily, and carried to the US by Italian immigrants [Sicilian dialect, literally: hostility to the law]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Mafia - a crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafiaomerta - 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. | Mafia - a secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century 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 mafioso - a member of the Sicilian Mafia | |
| 3. | mafia - any tightly knit group of trusted associates colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech |
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