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

The Westies gang have to face off against the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, even as an internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership brews and the Westies face being swept up into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into organized crime. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025

De Leon will appear as a recurring guest star as ‘Chiqui,’ the prison boss of the Mexican Mafia who is described as imposing, threatening and domineering. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025

Mariah the Scientist, Alex Warren, Latin Mafia, Flipturn, magdalena Bay, Gryffin, JPEGMAFIA, ISOxo, Artemas, GigiPerez, Del Water Gap, Katseye, Rebecca Black and more are also on the docket. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2025

Hitting theaters on March 21, De Niro puts his acting chops to the ultimate test, taking on both roles of Vito and Frank in this epic tale that documents the downfall of the American Mafia. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 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