racketeer
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
-
racketeers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
racketeered,
past participle, past
-
racketeering
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
racketeersimple
-
racketeerssimple
-
have racketeeredperfect
-
has racketeeredperfect
-
am racketeeringprogressive
-
are racketeeringprogressive
-
is racketeeringprogressive
-
have been racketeeringperfect progressive
-
has been racketeeringperfect progressive
Past
-
racketeeredsimple
-
had racketeeredperfect
-
was racketeeringprogressive
-
were racketeeringprogressive
-
had been racketeeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of racketeer
Explanation
A racketeer is a criminal, especially one who's involved in organized white collar crime or dishonest business dealings. If a lawyer embezzles money from her clients, she is a racketeer. Racketeers commit crimes in order to make money for themselves. In many cases, a racketeer is a business owner or professional who falsifies financial records to hide income or bills clients for more than they owe. A racket is a scam or fake service that's run by a racketeer — and the crime itself, if the racketeer is caught, is called racketeering. The source of all three words is thought to be racquet, and the idea of a scam as a "game."
Vocabulary lists containing racketeer
1984
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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.
See Examples For:
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.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
Former L.A. prosecutor Dmitry Gorin said prosecutors are trying to paint a picture of Combs as a top racketeer who sent orders to underlings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2024
Browner, Chambers and Lesley Chappell Green, 35, of Stone Mountain were all convicted of racketeer influenced and corrupt organization conspiracy.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
There is no evidence Butler gained materially from being “a racketeer for capitalism” — his words — who “helped rape a half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
He was a raider, a racketeer, not a leader of purposeful men.
From Black Man's Burden by Mack Reynolds
Mr. Civiletti was known for prosecuting racketeers, public corruption, white-collar crime and drug trafficking.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
A country bumpkin-turned-baseball player foils crooked pitchers and racketeers conspiring to fix the World Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2019
With FBI agents posing as officials in the company, and eventually as sheikhs, the group swept up mid-level racketeers until receiving an introduction to Angelo Errichetti, the well-connected mayor of Camden, N.J.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2018
Brewer-Giorgio, now 78, said the FBI enlisted Presley as an undercover agent in 1976 to help the agency infiltrate a criminal organization called “The Fraternity,” which was apparently made up of dozens of racketeers.
From Time ● Aug. 15, 2017
And the fact that I was “the young Brother Baldwin” increased my value with those same pimps and racketeers who had helped to stampede me into the church in the first place.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
In 36 years in Chicago, I have never been held up, robbed or racketeered.
From Time Magazine Archive
He is facing a second trial on a racketeering charge that is set for Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Several insurers have filed racketeering lawsuits against Liakas for allegedly conspiring with doctors to fabricate and exaggerate injuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Under his plea deal with US authorities, Zambada faced a mandatory minimum term of life imprisonment without parole on a racketeering charge.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
But Guo was later convicted on charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
