Mafia

noun

Ma·​fia ˈmä-fē-ə 

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 mafia : 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

Synonyms of Mafia

• gang
• syndicate
• conspiracy
• mob
• clan
• network

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

Until April, Calabria had spent 17 years under special administration due to persistent budget deficits, which along with corruption scandals and Mafia infiltration affected health investments. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

And while there’s no Wicked Witch of the West, there is a female Mafia crime lord (The White Lotus‘s Sabrina Impacciatore) who’s looking to retrieve her contraband. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026

Among the defendants are former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, as well as members and associates of four major Mafia crime families. — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 1 July 2026

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Three 6 Mafia became Oscar winners. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing Mafia

• the Mafia

Rhymes for Mafia

• coffea

Kids 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