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
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Soon, he's run afoul of both a terrifying gangster (Abel Ferrara) and a wealthy pen magnate (Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Yes, this is a script that figured a big-budget gangster-monster epic could also manage to fit a screwball buddy comedy.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
When Martin gets blackmailed by gangsters, the pair knock off a mafia henchman and plunge themselves deep into the Australian underworld, all while trying to keep their business afloat.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 4 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy Citation
