gangland

[ gang-land, -luhnd ]

noun

1. the world of organized crime; criminal underworld.

gangland

/ ˈɡæŋˌlænd; -lənd /

noun

1. the criminal underworld

Word History and Origins

Origin of gangland¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; gang ¹ + land

Example Sentences

In Northern Ireland, a Somali national was arrested at asylum accommodation in Belfast on behalf of Danish authorities on suspicion of a "gangland murder" in Denmark in 2022.

From BBC

Mr Findlay has written books on gangland crime and was the victim of an acid attack in 2015, when an assailant appeared at his door disguised as a postman.

From BBC

Congress first restricted machine guns in 1934 in response to the gangland murders during Prohibition, including the Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2013, he was convicted in a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes, many of them committed while he was said to be an FBI informant.

From Seattle Times

Like the cops, crooks and gangland toughs who populate his books, Don Winslow has something of a street fighter’s mentality.

From New York Times

Related Words

• mob
• organized crime
• syndicate