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 not capitalized : 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

• 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

Tsien is on the Steering Committee for the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and is a board member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 July 2025

In addition to dancing for several musicals, Louis-Fernand has also performed in various concerts and appeared in music videos with Diplo, Jesy Nelson and Swedish House Mafia, among others, according to his biography on Evita's cast site. —Caroline Blair, People.com, 8 July 2025

Federal lawyers also pursued a charge of racketeering conspiracy, an allegation traditionally affiliated with Mafia prosecutions. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025

Update: Sharp-eyed Redditors have pointed out that the three amigos standing in front of the field of flowers actually points to Latin Mafia coming to ACL 2025. —Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

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

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