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Assassin vs Mafia - What's the difference?

assassin | mafia |

As nouns the difference between assassin and mafia

is that assassin is (historical) a member of a muslim militant group responsible for murdering christian leaders during the crusades while mafia is mafia, mob (organised crime unit).

As a verb assassin

is (nonstandard) to assassinate.

assassin

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (historical) A member of a Muslim militant group responsible for murdering Christian leaders during the Crusades.
  • *, II.29:
  • The Assassines , a nation depending of Phœnicia, are esteemed among the Mahometists of a soveraigne devotion and puritie of maners; they hold, that the readiest and shortest way to gaine Paradise, is to kill some one of a contrary religion.
  • Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Travels and travails , passage=Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin , a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.}}
  • Any ruthless killer.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * (assassin spider) * assassinate * assassination * assassinator * assassinatrix * assassinous * royal assassin

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (nonstandard) To assassinate.
  • mafia

    English

    (wikipedia Mafia)

    Alternative forms

    * Maffia (less common)

    Proper noun

  • (specifically) An international criminal organization of Sicilian origin operating in Italy and the United States.
  • (by extension) Any organized crime syndicate operating internationally in high-level organized crime; .
  • Somehow he managed to upset the Russian Mafia .
  • A party game modelling a conflict between an informed minority (the mafia) and an uninformed majority (the innocents). Each player is secretly assigned a role within one of these teams, and the innocents attempt to identify the mafia members before they are all "murdered".
  • (an entity which attempts to control a specified arena).
  • Synonyms

    * (organization of Sicilian origin) Cosa Nostra, mob * (any organized crime syndicate) mob

    Derived terms

    * mafia * mafia state * Mafioso * Mafiya

    See also

    * Camorra * capo * godfather * goodfella * 'Ndrangheta * * Thuggee * Triad * Yakuza ----