Cosa Nostra

[koh-zuh nohs-truh] / ˈkoʊ zə ˈnoʊs trə /

NOUN

the mafia

Synonyms

WEAK

Black Hand Mafia gangdom gangland mob organized crime organized crime family rackets syndicate the Syndicate the mob the underworld underworld

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.

Police say their latest investigation follows some of the Cosa Nostra money trail.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

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

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

Former FBI Director James Comey described his first meeting with Trump, in which he demanded loyalty, as feeling “like Sammy the Bull’s Cosa Nostra induction ceremony.”

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2024

Italy’s national anti-Mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo, said that finally putting Messina Denaro behind bars won’t change the strategy Cosa Nostra has followed for more than a decade.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2023

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

From Reuters • Jan. 16, 2023