mafioso
Americannoun
-
mafiosi,
plural
-
mafiosos
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mafioso
First recorded in 1870–75; from Sicilian mafiusu “arrogance, bravado,” of disputed origin; perhaps ultimately from Arabic marfūḍ “outcast” (compare archaic Italian malfusso “wretched,” archaic Spanish marfuz “deceitful, rejected”); perhaps ultimately from Arabic mahyāṣ “braggart, show-off”
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:
The agents turned to Joey “Socks” Lanza, the mafioso running Manhattan’s Fulton Fish Market, for information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Prosecutors said the mob chief built a wide array of financial interests that went far beyond traditional mafioso concerns, helping him set up a loyal network of white collar professionals.
From Reuters ● Jan. 25, 2023
Paul Sorvino could play more than a mobster, even though mafioso roles became standards in his prolific career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
In the film, Tony’s mafioso future isn’t yet a foregone conclusion.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2021
Raymond looked more like a wizened Italian cobbler than an all-powerful mafioso.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2019
There’s a catch, a gimmick even, as De Niro stars opposite himself, playing both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two notorious real-life Italian American mafiosi who have inspired many movies and documentaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
Far from the stately La Scala opera house, the Opera prison on Milan’s southern edge has over 1,400 inmates, including 101 mafiosi held under a strict regime of near-total isolation.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
A player’s true identity is only revealed upon their death, and the game continues until the civilians succeed in rooting out all of the mafiosi, or the mafia outnumber the remaining civilians.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 28, 2016
However deeply immersed in crime Luigi's father may have been, he always wanted a different life for his son - continually urging him to build a future away from the world of the mafiosi.
From BBC ● May 28, 2014
When I heard this, his extremely courteous manner reminded me of the Robin Hood side of the Cristiani, and of the oriental hospitality of the mafiosi towards strangers.
From Castellinaria and Other Sicilian Diversions by Henry Festing Jones
“Saying that I defended mafiosos is dark legend. False. I defended people with problems,” he told the podcaster Luis Fernando Villa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Scorsese grew up in New York’s Little Italy as a Catholic altar boy and aspiring priest who was also fascinated by the mafiosos that loomed large in his community.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
Stereotypes abound when it comes to therapy, whether that’s counselors guiding mafiosos through their anxieties like Dr. Melfi in “The Sopranos” or quippy counselors on the British comedy-drama “Fleabag” giving clients ominous feedback.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2023
“If we were connected to a cartel, we would be the only mafiosos in history to last more than three presidential administrations.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2010
“When Frank Sinatra was alive he’d be dining with a bunch of mafiosos every night, but you guys never brought him in for questioning.”
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
