Capone

American

[kuh-pohn] / kəˈpoʊn /

noun

Al(phonse) Scarface, 1899–1947, U.S. gangster and Prohibition-era bootlegger, probably born in Italy.

Capone British

/ kəˈpəʊn /

noun

Alphonse, called Al. 1899–1947, US gangster in Chicago during Prohibition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Its cells held infamous criminals such as Al Capone, and several unsuccessful escape attempts captured public imagination.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

It held a relatively small number of prisoners, including high-profile inmates such as Al Capone.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The Metropolitan Police says it is using an "Al Capone" approach to root out misconduct by its own officers.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2025

Recently he seemed to suggest that the Jazz Age gangster Al Capone was still alive.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2024

We walked around the outside of the cell house caroling, so I didn’t actually see Capone this time, but I’m almost sure I heard him call out, ‘Sweet as a songbird.’

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023