Mafia

noun

Ma·​fia ˈmä-fē-ə How to pronounce Mafia (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first episode of Season 2 delves into the Pagan Biker Gang, and the rest of the season will unpack organizations like Fresno Bulldogs, Nuestra Familia, Black Mafia Family, Vagos and Aryan Sisters of Texas. Abigail Lee, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025 President Donald Trump and his allies in power are trying to erect an authoritarian Mafia state like the one Vladimir Putin and his cronies established in Russia. Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025 In Season 4 of Godfather of Harlem, Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families, while contending with the arrival of gangster Frank Lucas (Rome Flynn). Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025 This week, President Donald Trump froze $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard University, angering members of the Elbow Patch Mafia around America. Christian Schneider, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Mafia

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Mafia was in 1866

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

Mafia

noun
Ma·​fia ˈmäf-ē-ə How to pronounce Mafia (audio)
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 How to pronounce Mafia (audio)
ˈma-
island of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean south of Zanzibar area 170 square miles (442 square kilometers), population 16,748

More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

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