mafia (English)
Where does "mafia" come from?
The English term 'mafia' refers to a hierarchically structured secret organization engaged in illegal activities like gambling and extortion[1]. The word has extended its usage beyond traditional crime syndicates to describe any entity that attempts to control a specified arena through violence or threats[1]. This contemporary usage draws an analogy to the way historical crime syndicates maintained control over specific businesses and regions in which they existed[1].
Full etymology tree
- mafia (English), 'A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion.'
- borrowed mafia (Italian), 'the Mafia (International organized crime organization)'
Descendants and derived words
- alphabet mafia (English)
- mafia hypothesis (English)
- mafialike (English)
- mafia state (English)
- mafiocracy (English)
- Murphia (English)
- nonmafia (English)
- rainbow mafia (English)
- Taffia (English)
Sources
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris