Definition

1. Noun:
   • A member of the Mafia crime syndicate in the United States: A person who is part of a large, organized, and powerful criminal organization originating in Italy but operating in the U.S.
   • A member of the Sicilian Mafia: A person who belongs to the original, powerful, and secret criminal society based in Sicily, Italy.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The trial revealed that the businessman was a mafioso with ties to several illegal operations.
  • Historically, a Sicilian mafioso was bound by a strict code of silence known as omertà.

Advanced Usage

• The plural form is mafiosi.
  • The police arrested several suspected mafiosi in a coordinated raid.
• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe things related to a mafioso.
  • He was known for his mafioso connections and lifestyle.

Variants and Related Words

• Mafia (n): The organized international body of criminals.
• Mafiosa (n): A rare, feminine form for a female member.

Synonyms

• Mobster: A member of a criminal gang or organized crime syndicate.
• Gangster: A member of an organized group of violent criminals.
• Cosa Nostra member: A term for a member of the Sicilian or Italian-American Mafia, meaning "our thing."

Related Phrases

• Made man: A fully initiated member of the Mafia.
  • After the ceremony, he was a made man, a true mafioso.
• Man of honor: A euphemistic term used within the Mafia for a member.
  • He was introduced as a man of honor, a respected mafioso from the old country.

Noun

1. a member of the Mafia crime syndicate in the United States
2. a member of the Sicilian Mafia