gangsterism

American  

[gang-stuh-riz-uhm] / ˈgæŋ stəˌrɪz əm /

noun

1. the methods or behavior of gangsters.

2. the use of tactics associated with gangsters, as intimidation or violence, in order to achieve something.

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gangsterism British  

/ ˈɡæŋstərɪzəm /

noun

1. the culture of belonging to organized gangs of criminals, esp involving violence

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Etymology

Origin of gangsterism

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; gangster + -ism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gangsterism

Far from whitewashing the Saudi regime, Ignatius depicts the royal court as a cockpit of rage, corruption, and respectable gangsterism.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2018

Individual rights have been infringed on, money has been wasted, and gangsterism has flourished, while failing to protect the health of athletes.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 4, 2016

But even being able to "denounce gangsterism" had meant having to learn a vocabulary and way of communicating he had never acquired growing up.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2016

After his ordination in 1945, he became associate director of the Xavier Institute of Labor Relations on West 16th Street, whose classes on labor organizing were aimed at inoculating union workers against gangsterism and communism.

From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2015

They represent six-shooter culture at its zenith—the wild and woolly side of the West—a stage between receding bowie knife individualism of the backwoods and blackguard, machine-gun gangsterism of the city.

From Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest, with a Few Observations by Dobie, J. Frank (James Frank)