racketeer

[rak-i-teer]

noun

1. a person engaged in a racket.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in a racket.

racketeer

/ ˌrækɪˈtɪə /

noun

1. a person engaged in illegal enterprises for profit

verb

1. (intr) to operate a racket

Other Word Forms

• racketeering noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of racketeer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; racket ¹ + -eer

Example Sentences

The sprawling racketeering case suffered a death by a thousand cuts - a judge tossed out several of the charges in 2024, and Willis was disqualified a few months later.

Read more on BBC

Members of the MS-13 gang used the Angeles National Forest and other isolated mountain areas as the locale for a series of grisly killings, prosecutors argued at a racketeering trial in downtown Los Angeles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An alleged Chinese racketeer linked to a hugely lucrative scam hub in Myanmar was extradited from Thailand to China on Wednesday, a police official in Bangkok told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

Last week, Lanni pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, according to court records.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Nania has yet to enter a plea to racketeering charges filed in federal court, and it wasn’t clear if he had a lawyer who could speak for him.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• extortionist 
• loan shark 
• mobster