organized crime

noun

: a group of professional criminals who work together as part of a powerful and secret organization
He has links to organized crime.

Examples of organized crime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Laurie Metcalf plays Linda, the siblings’ mother and accidental mayoral candidate, whose parallel bid for local office manages to feel just as high-stakes as the organized crime subplot. Kennedy French, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026 Americans dominated not only the sugar industry but also public utilities, mining and tourism, which American organized crime came to control. Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026 The story follows the lives of four boys united by a love of street soccer, growing up in the shadow of Naples infamous Camorra organized crime syndicate. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026 The United Nations has said in recent years that organized crime groups trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine have expanded their presence in the Pacific. CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026 In Brazil, organized crime groups such as Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) emerged inside prisons in the late 1970s and 1990s as inmates rebelled against overcrowding, abuse, and the precarious living conditions. Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 10 Dec. 2025 Billups is charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Oct. 2025 In the 1980s, there were three major outfits in Massachusetts organized crime – the Mafia, the Winter Hill Gang and the Metropolitan Police Department. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025 Police said the organized crime ring has been linked to at least 80 thefts in the area. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Organized crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organized%20crime. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

organized crime

noun
: criminal activity on the part of an organized and extensive group of people compare racketeering
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