/ ˈmæfiə; NAmE ˈmɑːf-/ noun
1.
the Mafia [ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] a secret organization of criminals, that is active especially in Sicily, Italy and the US
2.
mafia [ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of people within an organization or a community who use their power to get advantages for themselves :
a member of the local mafia
Politics is still dominated by the middle-class mafia.
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
Italian (Sicilian dialect), originally in the sense bragging .