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 mafia
: 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
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
The festival announced its upcoming artist lineup Thursday in an Instagram post, with headliners including Robyn, Swedish House Mafia and Dog Blood — a duo made up of Skrillex and Boys Noize.
—
Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
With their help, Messina Denaro also was able to continue to communicate with, and direct, his Mafia operatives.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
Italian authorities have seized more than 200 million euros ($232 million) in assets linked to the late mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro’s drug trafficking network, in what anti-mafia prosecutors described Thursday as a blow to the Sicilian Mafia’s attempts to rebuild its financial power.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Over 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the criminal operation.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
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Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
With their help, Messina Denaro also was able to continue to communicate with, and direct, his Mafia operatives.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
Italian authorities have seized more than 200 million euros ($232 million) in assets linked to the late mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro’s drug trafficking network, in what anti-mafia prosecutors described Thursday as a blow to the Sicilian Mafia’s attempts to rebuild its financial power.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Over 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the criminal operation.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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