gangster
Americannoun
-
gangsters
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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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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.
See Examples For:
In a gangster movie we’d call it muscle: large men with misshapen heads who do the grunt work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Taken at a gangster party in City Terrace in 1996, the author and her big sister Maria stare stone-faced, as if daring us to read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Soon JJ was spending time with Michael - watching gangster films, playing video games and listening to his stories.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Conleth Hill joins as Clemmy Keeler, the fierce patriarch of the Keeler gangster family, who rival the Peaky Blinders' ambitions to rebuild the city.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
In Paris and Western Europe, the story was “essentially a one-day sensation,” with the West German press handling it “as if it were in the Chicago gangster tradition.”
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Once a small-bore banana republic marked by political instability, its weak institutions, rampant corruption and attractive location made it a target for gangsters looking to create a transit hub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Egyptian authorities argued criminal gangsters were to blame for Regeni's murder and suggested various other explanations for his death, including a car accident, failed drug deal, or botched robbery.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Yestin Duran, a 31-year-old beverage vendor, said she feared that "gangsters and robbers can cross over" more easily from Brazil.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Its members have mocked hard-shell cholos and gangsters, often by placing them in funny scenarios.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Instead of moving on and making way for the younger gangsters to ascend, the veterans stayed put.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
