mafia

/ˈmæfi.ə/ · noun

Meaning

A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion.
A crime syndicate.
A trusted group of associates, as of a political leader.
(in compound terms such as "moral mafia") An entity which attempts to control a specified arena.

Etymology / origin

No prose etymology has been added yet.

No ancestor words have been linked yet.

Related words

cosa nostra(English)maffia(English)sicilian mafia(English)mobster(English)syndicate(English)gangster(English)racketeering(English)mob(English)mafioso(English)cosa(English)turncoat(English)camorra(English)

Descendant words

No descendant words have been linked yet.

Sources

DictionaryAPI.dev English dictionary data

mafia — meaning and etymology | WikiWord