Cosa Nostra Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms Cosa Nostra American [koh-zuh nohs-truh] / ˈkoʊ zə ˈnoʊs trə /

noun

1. a secret association engaged in organized crime in the U.S., modeled after and affiliated with the Mafia.

Cosa Nostra British / ˈkəʊsə ˈnɒstrə /

noun

1. the branch of the Mafia that operates in the US

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Cosa Nostra

1960–65; < Italian: literally, our affair

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.

He had persuaded the F.B.I. to stop using the terms Mafia and Cosa Nostra in its news releases.

From New York Times

Prosecutors had hoped in vain he would collaborate with them and reveal Cosa Nostra secrets.

From Seattle Times

Despite his notoriety, prosecutors have always doubted that Messina Denaro became the Mafia "boss of bosses", saying it was more likely that he was simply the head of Cosa Nostra in western Sicily.

From Reuters

The finding comes after Italy's largest agricultural trade group, Coldiretti, condemned the Cosa Nostra product for associating itself with the Sicilian mafia.

From BBC

While Messina Denaro wielded great influence in the Mafia, for decades Cosa Nostra has lacked a supreme capo, investigators say.

From Seattle Times

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.