Mafia

noun

Ma·​fia ˈmä-fē-ə 

ˈma-

1

a

: a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy

b

: a similarly conceived criminal organization in the U.S.

also : a similar organization elsewhere

the Japanese Mafia

c

: a criminal organization associated with a particular traffic

the cocaine Mafia

2

often not capitalized : a group of people likened to the Mafia

especially : a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise : clique

Synonyms

• cabal
• conspiracy
• crew
• gang
• mob
• ring
• syndicate

Examples of Mafia in a Sentence

a member of the Mafia

He's an important figure in the television mafia.

Recent Examples on the Web

Formed in the early ’90s by DJ Paul, Juicy J and Lord Infamous in Memphis, Three 6 Mafia went on to become one of the most influential rap groups in the genre’s history. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025

Engineering the Startup Mafia: Putting DraperU’s Alumni Network to Work The idea of a startup mafia is not new to Silicon Valley. —Daniel Fusch, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

They were welcomed by a local New Orleans marching band known as Trumpet Mafia. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025

The racing team is building its brand portfolio by also teaming with Built for Athletes, Pedal Mafia, Abercrombie & Fitch, SunGod, Coachbuilt Whisky, HalfScale Cars and Lego. —Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Mafia, Maffia, a Sicilian secret criminal society, from Italian dialect (Sicily), probably from mafiusu

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Mafia

• the Mafia

Kids Definition

Mafia

noun

Ma·​fia ˈmäf-ē-ə 

ˈmaf-

1

: a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy

2

: a similar criminal organization in the U.S. or elsewhere

Geographical Definition

Mafia

geographical name

Ma·​fia ˈmä-fē-ə 

ˈma-

island of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean south of Zanzibar area 170 square miles (442 square kilometers), population 16,748