What does racketeering mean?
Racketeering means taking part in an illegal business, especially one built around fraud, extortion, bribery, or other forms of organized crime. The word often suggests a network rather than an isolated dishonest act: criminals cooperate, conceal their activities, and exploit financial or legal systems for sustained profit. It can also be used more broadly for especially unscrupulous commercial practices, though this use is less formal than its criminal meaning. In legal contexts, racketeering may appear in phrases such as “racketeering charges” or “racketeering investigation.” The related word “racketeer” names a person who engages in such activity, while “racket” can refer either to a noisy disturbance or, in older usage, to an illegal enterprise or dishonest scheme. Racketeering is therefore a useful term for describing organized criminal commerce and its corrosive effect on public trust.
nounThe activity of operating an illegal business or scheme, especially one involving fraud, extortion, or organized crime. It also refers more broadly to dishonest or unscrupulous business practices.
- The operation of an illegal business or scheme, especially one involving fraud, extortion, bribery, or other organized criminal activity.
- Unscrupulous or dishonest business activity generally.
"Federal agents uncovered a widespread racketeering scheme involving fraudulent insurance claims."
"The company was accused of racketeering through its network of shell corporations."
"The report described years of political corruption and racketeering in the industry."
Racketeering turns an organized criminal scheme into a business: the word is famously associated with the notorious phrase “racket” used to describe dishonest money-making operations.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does racketeering come from?
The word “racketeering” derives from “racketeer,” which developed from “racket,” a term long associated with noisy disturbances and, by the nineteenth century, organized or dishonest business schemes. The suffix “-eer” was added to form a noun for a person involved in a racket, and “racketeering” later developed as the activity associated with racketeers. The precise origin of “racket” is debated, so its older semantic history should be treated cautiously.
Related word forms
How racketeering is actually used
The term is strongly negative and usually refers to serious or organized criminal conduct. It is common in legal, journalistic, and law-enforcement contexts.
Easily confused with racketeering
A racket can mean a loud noise or a dishonest business or scheme, whereas racketeering specifically denotes the activity of operating such an illegal enterprise.