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mafioso

noun

ma·​fi·​o·​so ˌmä-fē-ˈō-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce mafioso (audio)
ˌma-
-(ˌ)zō
plural mafiosi ˌmä-fē-ˈō-(ˌ)sē How to pronounce mafioso (audio)
ˌma-
-(ˌ)zē
: a member of the Mafia or a mafia

Examples of mafioso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The third season of Tulsa King found Dwight squaring off against the violent (and desperate) Dunmire clan, as well as a vicious New York mafioso called Quiet Ray (James Russo) and an FBI agent with an ax to grind (Kevin Pollak). Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025 The mafioso-style form of Carr’s threat has been widely noted. Onkar Ghate, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025 Instead, De Niro pretended to be the new mafioso FCC chairman who was tearing down free speech on behalf of Trump. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025 In short: were these monkeys mafiosi or aspiring Buddhas? Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mafioso

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Italian dialect (Sicily) mafiusu gallant, swaggerer, perhaps alteration of marfusu scoundrel

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mafioso was in 1875

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mafioso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mafioso. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

mafioso

noun
ma·​fi·​o·​so ˌmäf-ē-ˈō-sō How to pronounce mafioso (audio)
ˌmaf-
-zō
plural mafiosi -sē How to pronounce mafioso (audio)
-zē
: a member of the Mafia

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