Dictionary

yakuza en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈjækuːzə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈjækuzə/ (General-American)
• /ˈjaːkʉːzə/ (Australia)
• /ˈjɑː-/ (General-American)
• /jəˈkʉːzə/ (Australia)
• /jəˈkuːzə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese やくざ (yakuza). See there for more details.

Meanings

1. A Japanese organized crime gang.
   • Japan’s largest yakuza crime syndicate has pledged to end its longstanding war with a rival faction and refrain from causing “trouble,” authorities said, as the mafia-like groups contend with falling membership and increased police crackdowns. 2025 April 11, Junko Ogura, Helen Regan, “Japan’s biggest Yakuza crime group pledges to end decade-long gang war”, in CNN, archived from the original on 09 May 2025:
2. A member of that Japanese organized crime gang.

Forms

Coordinates

mafia · bratva · tong · cartel · mob · triad

Deriveds

yak

Translations (29)

ru яку́дза (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · es yakuzas (Japanese organized crime gang) · cmn 極道 /极道 (Japanese organized crime gang) · ru яку́дза (Japanese organized crime gang) · ja ヤクザ (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · cmn 極道 /极道 (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · es yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang) · ms yakuza (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · ar يَاكُوزَا (Japanese organized crime gang) · pl yakuza (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · mr याकुजा (Japanese organized crime gang) · ms yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang) · ja やくざ (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · pl yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang) · cmn 日本黑道 (Japanese organized crime gang) · fi yakuza (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · cmn 如龍 /如龙 (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · ko 야쿠자 (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · ja やくざ (Japanese organized crime gang) · mn якуза (Japanese organized crime gang) · ja ヤクザ (Japanese organized crime gang) · fi yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang) · ja 極道 (Japanese organized crime gang) · pl jakuza (Japanese organized crime gang) · pl jakuza (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · ko 야쿠자 (Japanese organized crime gang) · ar يَاكُوزَا (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · mr याकुजा (member of a Japanese organized crime gang) · sl jakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)