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
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 Bills and Bills Mafia thrive on the underdog mentality, and love when people count us out, unlike a few years ago when everyone (national media) was riding our bandwagon and picking us as favorites to win or go to the Super Bowl.
—
Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024
In a media environment where old institutions are often expected to apologize for conduct others have committed a century or more earlier, the Teamsters are never held to account for decades of embezzlement, violence, and Mafia links that have occurred much more recently.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Sep. 2024
This includes telemarketing scams targeting senior citizens, an arsonist setting fire to the city of Boston, the Italian Mafia’s downfall over olive oil and the escapades of a rare book thief.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2024
In 1969 in Palermo, Italy, a 300-year-old Caravaggio was cut out of its frame never to be seen again (allegedly by the Sicilian Mafia).
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia 
Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024
In a media environment where old institutions are often expected to apologize for conduct others have committed a century or more earlier, the Teamsters are never held to account for decades of embezzlement, violence, and Mafia links that have occurred much more recently.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Sep. 2024
This includes telemarketing scams targeting senior citizens, an arsonist setting fire to the city of Boston, the Italian Mafia’s downfall over olive oil and the escapades of a rare book thief.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2024
In 1969 in Palermo, Italy, a 300-year-old Caravaggio was cut out of its frame never to be seen again (allegedly by the Sicilian Mafia).
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Mafia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
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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