noun
Mafia
MA-fee-uh
noun
1
An organized crime syndicate built on secrecy, hierarchy, and intimidation, especially (capitalized) the Sicilian and Italian-American criminal network.
"The film follows a young man drawn into the mafia in 1950s New York."
"Police say the drug ring was run like a small mafia, complete with its own code of silence."
2
Informally, any tightly-knit group seen as controlling something through influence or pressure rather than crime.
"Locals joked about the "school run mafia," the clique of parents who ran every fundraiser."
3
A social deduction party game in which secretly assigned "mafia" players try to eliminate the rest of the group without being identified.
"We stayed up until 2am playing Mafia after dinner."
How to Use Mafia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA secretive criminal organization — or, jokingly, any powerful clique that seems to run things behind the scenes.
Common pairings
organized crime mafia
mafia boss
mafia family
Word Forms
mafias plural
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Etymology
From Italian mafia, of disputed origin, most likely tied to 19th-century Sicilian dialect.