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What is the history of the word gangster?
Gangster came into the English language at the latter portion of the 19th century, as one of what is now a large parcel of words which have been formed by adding the noun combining form –ster to an existing word. The ending -ster has a number of possible meanings (“one that does, handles, or operates,” “one that makes or uses,” “one that is associated with or participates in,” “one that is”), and one of its interesting elements is that it has, in many cases, shifted its gender. This second portion of gangster comes from the Old English -estre, meaning “female agent.” The word tapster ("a bartender"), for instance, was tæppestre in Old English, and designated a barmaid, or female tapster. In modern use the addition of -ster may often be found in a gender-neutral sense, as with hipster, or with implications of masculinity, as with gangster and mobster, through prevalence of usage.
Examples of gangster in a Sentence
Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Kim Jee-woon’s A Bittersweet Life (2005) drew on the cool aesthetics of Jean-Pierre Melville’s gangster films while examining specifically Korean concepts of loyalty and social hierarchy.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gangster. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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