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
Tsien is on the Steering Committee for the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and is a board member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 July 2025
In addition to dancing for several musicals, Louis-Fernand has also performed in various concerts and appeared in music videos with Diplo, Jesy Nelson and Swedish House Mafia, among others, according to his biography on Evita's cast site.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 8 July 2025
Federal lawyers also pursued a charge of racketeering conspiracy, an allegation traditionally affiliated with Mafia prosecutions.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Update: Sharp-eyed Redditors have pointed out that the three amigos standing in front of the field of flowers actually points to Latin Mafia coming to ACL 2025.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
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Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 July 2025
In addition to dancing for several musicals, Louis-Fernand has also performed in various concerts and appeared in music videos with Diplo, Jesy Nelson and Swedish House Mafia, among others, according to his biography on Evita's cast site.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 8 July 2025
Federal lawyers also pursued a charge of racketeering conspiracy, an allegation traditionally affiliated with Mafia prosecutions.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Update: Sharp-eyed Redditors have pointed out that the three amigos standing in front of the field of flowers actually points to Latin Mafia coming to ACL 2025.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia. Accessed 19 Jul. 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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