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
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 Wall Street Journal reported in May that the DOJ was investigating how Chinese organized crime groups and drug traffickers used TD Bank to launder money derived from the sale of the deadly opiate fentanyl in the United States. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024 The perpetrators are real-life mobsters, organized crime syndicates—many of whom engage in child pornography, prostitution, drug trafficking, and other societal ills. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 10 Apr. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Organized crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organized%20crime. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Legal Definition

organized crime

noun
: criminal activity on the part of an organized and extensive group of people compare racketeering
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!