Dictionary

gangsterism en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English gangster Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English gangsterism From gangster + -ism.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The behavior of a gangster; organized crime.
   • Charges to be laid include gangsterism, drug trafficking, weapons possession and conspiracy to commit murder. 2009 February 13, Peter Rakobowchuk, “Police hit bikers, gangs”, in Toronto Star:
   • In a city known once as a centre of gangsterism and of beggars and prostitutes, it is claimed that now not a single night club exists. About 10,000 prostitutes were put into reformatories for labour reform and rehabilitation to Communist society. 1968, “SHANGHAI (SHANG-HAI)”, in Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 20, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 346, column 2:

Forms