Assassin vs Mafia - What's the difference?

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