gangster
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of gangster
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How does gangster compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A gangster is a member of a criminal gang. Gangsters are sometimes called mobsters. A gang is a criminal organization, and a member of such a group is a gangster. Gangsters work together to commit robberies and break the law in other ways. Many famous movies, such as The Godfather, are about gangsters. This word often refers specifically to members of criminal gangs of the 1920s and 30s, when organized crime frequently involved the smuggling of alcohol.
Vocabulary lists containing gangster
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Ray Liotta (1954–2022) Tribute List
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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.
The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader branded the US president a "gangster".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Many of the movies of the era picked up on this theme and offered people solace by turning the tables—especially the new genre of gangster movies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
"Sinners," the tale of gangster twins returning home to a supernatural and segregated Deep South in the 1930s, has already made Academy Awards history with its whopping 16 nominations.
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
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 • Jan. 28, 2026
The She Elephant swaggered among them like a gangster.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
