gangster

American  

[gang-ster] / ˈgæŋ stər /

noun

1. a member of a gang of criminals, especially a racketeer in an organized crime syndicate.

   Synonyms:

   goon, hood, thug, crook, hoodlum, mobster

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gangster British  

/ ˈɡæŋstə /

noun

1. a member of an organized gang of criminals, esp one who resorts to violence

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Etymology

Origin of gangster

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; gang ¹ + -ster

Compare meaning

How does gangster compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gangster vs. gangsta

Example Sentences

The Irish actor has returned to play the Birmingham gangster in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, 13 years after he first took on the part in the BBC TV series.

From BBC

There are amusing moments in murder mysteries and gangster sagas; sometimes one needs a break.

From The Wall Street Journal

Years later, he told a grand jury: “My primary duties were to keep down these gangster killings and try to keep some of these rough guys under control.”

From Los Angeles Times

In clipped, fast-moving scenes, Mr. Sayles shifts between the boardroom and the assembly line, and radiates out to develop the roles of attendant characters, from journalists to labor activists to gangsters and rumrunners.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is the It Club, owned by a Black gangster and visited by everyone from Miles to Coltrane to Monk, who recorded an album there.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bandit
• criminal
• crook
• hoodlum
• hooligan
• mobster
• racketeer
• robber
• soldier
• thug