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

Morrone plays Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix Italian movie 365 Days, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024

The film, based on a true story, follows the fictional rise of a Mexican Mafia leader (played by Olmos) and the harsh life in and out of prison. —Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

Sacks and the company's early developers became known as 'the PayPal Mafia' because so many of them went on to found other successful ventures. —David Faris, theweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Bills Mafia has grown accustomed to overtaking other stadiums and forcing the home team’s offense to use a silent count. —Tim Graham, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

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