Did you know?
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
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
But all good things come to those who wait as Disney/Lucasfilm just released the second trailer for the latest chapter in the galaxy far, far away and it's packed with an absolute menagerie of aliens, robots, creatures, droids, and monsters, including those vile crimelord gangsters, the Hutts.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Brobbey is completely innocent of any wrongdoing, but found himself at the heart of a case that involves a notorious gangster, a near-fatal shooting and an alleged extortion attempt on him.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
But when Coppola went to film Part III of his gangster saga, Duvall and the studio couldn't come to terms on salary, and so Tom Hagen was killed off.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 16 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy Citation
