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
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
This is an incredible opportunity to feature Western New York and Bills Mafia on the Hallmark platform.
—
Emily Longeretta, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, The Chainsmokers, Swedish House Mafia and H.E.R. performed at the 2023 inaugural edition of the festival.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2025
Levon must pose as a drug dealer and infiltrate himself into this Chicago underworld populated by numerous stereotypical Russian Mafia types led by crime lord Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng), and featuring his loose cannon son Dimi (Maximilian Osinski).
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
Reckless and often liable to go off the handle, Johnny Boy constantly gets himself and the loyal but frustrated Charlie in trouble, which becomes outright deadly when Johnny borrows too much money from Mafia loan sharks.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
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Emily Longeretta, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, The Chainsmokers, Swedish House Mafia and H.E.R. performed at the 2023 inaugural edition of the festival.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2025
Levon must pose as a drug dealer and infiltrate himself into this Chicago underworld populated by numerous stereotypical Russian Mafia types led by crime lord Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng), and featuring his loose cannon son Dimi (Maximilian Osinski).
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
Reckless and often liable to go off the handle, Johnny Boy constantly gets himself and the loyal but frustrated Charlie in trouble, which becomes outright deadly when Johnny borrows too much money from Mafia loan sharks.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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