racketeering
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of racketeering
Explanation
Someone who's guilty of racketeering has been participating in something illegal, most likely organized crime or criminal business dealings. You can use the noun racket to describe an illegal scheme or plan, and racketeering to mean the act of running or engaging in a racket. The word comes up most often when someone is being accused or arrested or convicted of this type of criminal activity. The root of both racket and racketeering is probably racquet, with its connection to the idea of a game.
Vocabulary lists containing racketeering
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Criminal Destiny
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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.
Earlier in his career, he gained fame as the fearless Mafia-busting prosecutor whose aggressive use of racketeering laws brought down New York's organized crime families.
From Barron's • May 3, 2026
The book’s ostensible subject is the 1985 trial of Louisiana’s governor, Edwin Edwards, for fraud, bribery and racketeering.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
The DOJ shut down over 60 union corruption and labor racketeering cases, 2.5 times the number in Trump’s first term.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026
After serving about 16 years in federal prison for racketeering, Villalba ended up living in a collection of tents along the railroad tracks that run beneath the 91 Freeway.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026
They were mostly in for white-collar crimes, money schemes, fraud and racketeering.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
