yakuza

noun

ya·​ku·​za ˈyä-ku̇-ˌzä 

plural yakuza

1

: a Japanese gangster

2

: an organized crime syndicate in Japan

Examples of yakuza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Appropriated from a John Cale album, the title accurately describes scenes of bloodletting committed by bizarre, scenery-chewing yakuza members, and the energy hovers somewhere around a bloodier-than-baseline Takashi Miike movie from the mid-2000s. — Vadim Rizov, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026

Yabuki, then, is on the way out, but what keeps him there is his knowledge of the Seiryu-kai, a real-life yakuza gang that dominated the Japanese crime scene until relatively recently. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026

The team comes up with scenarios in which Emi fights a mech or battles yakuza in the clouds, and the fights defy expectations. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

The 71-year-old filmmaker reflects on his influence, his early yakuza movies and why young directors should embrace constraints before chasing Cannes. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, ruffian, gangster

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1