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
In the upcoming season, Bumpy intensifies his bloody war against New York’s Mafia families while facing a formidable new rival: Black gangster Frank Lucas, portrayed by Rome Flynn.
—
Okla Jones, Essence, 3 Jan. 2025
Latin Mafia: Playing the Van Buren in Phoenix on Friday, Jan. 24.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
Additional guests include Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, T-Pain, Diplo, Wiz Khalifa, The War on Drugs, 2 Chainz, Chase Rice, Three 6 Mafia, 3 Doors Down, Ella Langley, ERNEST, Morgan Wade, Moneybagg Yo and more.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 31 Dec. 2024
The musical event took place in Chicago with Swedish House Mafia as headliners, and the proceeds went toward Ferrell’s Cancer For College organization, which gives college scholarships to cancer survivors.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia 
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Okla Jones, Essence, 3 Jan. 2025
Latin Mafia: Playing the Van Buren in Phoenix on Friday, Jan. 24.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
Additional guests include Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, T-Pain, Diplo, Wiz Khalifa, The War on Drugs, 2 Chainz, Chase Rice, Three 6 Mafia, 3 Doors Down, Ella Langley, ERNEST, Morgan Wade, Moneybagg Yo and more.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 31 Dec. 2024
The musical event took place in Chicago with Swedish House Mafia as headliners, and the proceeds went toward Ferrell’s Cancer For College organization, which gives college scholarships to cancer survivors.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia
Dictionary Entries Near Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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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