omertà
oh-MAIR-tah
/oʊˈmɛərtə/
A code of silence about criminal activity and a refusal to give evidence to authorities.
Specifically associated with the Italian Mafia, it is a point of honor and a survival mechanism.
The story behind the word. The word is thought to derive from the Sicilian word for 'manliness' (umirtà). To follow omertà was to be a 'real man' who could handle his own problems without running to the law. It transformed from a cultural ideal of self-reliance into a brutal tool of organized crime.
Word relationships
- code of silence: A more general term used for any group (including police or military) that refuses to report on its members.
- whistleblowing: The act of reporting illegal activity within an organization.
Commonly confused with
- secrecy: Secrecy is the state of being hidden; omertà is the rule that enforces that state.
Collocations
- code of omertà
- vow of omertà
- break omertà
- strict omertà
Example sentences
- "The code of omertà made it nearly impossible for the police to find witnesses willing to testify against the boss." Describing Mafia culture.
- "Omertà is the law of silence that protects the family from the outside world." A famous literary quote.
Memory hook
Think of 'O-mer-tah' as 'Oh, murder!'—if you talk about the murder, you're in trouble. Omertà is the 'manly' silence of the underworld.
When not to use
Do not use for a simple secret between friends; it implies a life-or-death commitment to silence in a criminal context.
Fun facts
- Breaking omertà is traditionally punishable by death in Mafia circles.
- The term became widely known to the public through the 1963 Valachi hearings in the US.
Related words
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