gangland

[ gang-land, -luh nd ]

/ ˈgæŋˌlænd, -lənd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gangland ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the world of organized crime; criminal underworld.

Nearby words

gangbuster, ganger, ganges, ganges river, gangetic, gangland, gangle, gangliate, gangliated, gangliated nerve, gangliectomy

Origin of gangland

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; gang¹ + land

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gangland

John Buntin, The New York Times Magazine A plan for peace in gangland.
The Week’s Best Longreads for July 13, 2013|David Sessions|July 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As for that phone call—in the end, Alvarez-Marquez didn't end up helping the gangland matriarch get into the country.
The Gangster Matriarch of L.A.|Christine Pelisek|September 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Among people of his own kind this youth, Jimmie McGowan, was known as the quickest trigger in all gangland.
The Arrow of Fire|Roy J. Snell
Then from the blasphemous mouth of the king of gangland there came a shriek of awful fear.
Astounding Stories, March, 1931|Various

And he himself was killed by the gangland of Fort Worth, Tex.
Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
He also was quite a celebrity in that gathering—Larry the Bat was of the aristocracy and the elite of gangland.
The Adventures of Jimmie Dale|Frank L. Packard
Fingers of steel had gripped his wrist and the king of gangland rolled over on him, twisting the gun from his hand.
Astounding Stories, March, 1931|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gangland

gangland

/ (ˈɡæŋˌlænd, -lənd) /

noun

the criminal underworld

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