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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
gangster British  
/ ˈɡæŋstə /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of gangster

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

Compare meaning

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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.

"Never in your life label me a thug again. Never label me a wannabe gangster," he said.

From BBC

Australia's most famous gangster won a reduced jail sentence Thursday on one of his drug-related convictions, after it was revealed his lawyer was a police informant.

From Barron's

She said she was forced to do so by gangsters who tortured her with a hot iron.

From BBC

The pair's Argentine Tango will feature a "gangster fight scene", and in a Strictly first, Carney will take the lead role.

From BBC

These brilliant episodes describe gangster murders, war injuries, firing squads, hangings and bullfight triumphs and deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.