racketeering

[rak-i-teer-ing]

noun

1. the practice of conducting or engaging in a racket, as extortion or bootlegging.

Other Word Forms

• antiracketeering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of racketeering¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; racketeer + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

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.

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

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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.

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During the trial, jurors heard from three women, his two former girlfriends and a personal assistant, who described a culture within the empire that prosecutors likened to a mob-style racketeering operation.

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Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner are taking legal action to snuff out accusations that they are the subjects of a federal criminal racketeering investigation — claims publicized by the former’s ex-boyfriend Ray J.

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