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mafioso

mafia-like, criminal

adjective noun mah-FYOH-soh Rare

Origin: Italian mafioso, from Sicilian Mafia.

Also means

mafia member

Usage Note

Mafioso functions as both an adjective (método mafioso, mafia-style method) and a noun (un mafioso, a mafia member). The feminine noun form is mafiosa. The word is a direct borrowing from Italian and retains the Italian plural mafiosi in educated writing, though mafiosos is also used in Spanish.

Examples

"El juez investigó las prácticas mafiosas de la empresa."

Natural Translation

The judge investigated the company's mafia-like practices.

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