noun
yakuza
YA-koo-zuh
noun
1
An organized Japanese crime syndicate, or a member of one.
"The film follows a young man drawn into the yakuza after moving to Tokyo."
How to Use Yakuza
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishJapan's equivalent of organized crime families, known for strict hierarchy and distinctive tattoos.
Word Forms
yakuza plural, yakuzas plural
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The film follows a young man drawn into the _____ after moving to Tokyo.
Etymology
From Japanese yakuza, originally a term from a losing hand in a card game — meaning "good for nothing" — later applied to gangsters.