Racketeered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have been involved in illicit activities that include extortion or manipulation for financial gain
2. To have taken part in unlawful schemes that exploit or intimidate others for profit
3. To have engaged in organized illegal operations that may involve coercion or deceit for monetary advantage

Etymology: "Racketeered" is the past tense and past participle of "racketeer," so its history runs through that base word. "Racketeer" is formed from "racket" plus the suffix "-eer," which marks a person connected with an activity. The "-eer" ending entered English from French and originally attached to words for occupations, as in "engineer" and "mountaineer," so "racketeer" follows that pattern of naming someone who works at a particular trade. The noun "racket" is the older part and carries the more interesting shift. It first meant a bat or paddle used in games, the sense that survives in "tennis racket," and it later took on a sense of noisy commotion. From there it came to describe a fraudulent or illegal scheme, the business that makes its money by swindling or intimidating others. "Racketeer" follows that sense, naming someone who runs such an operation, and "racketeered" carries it into the verb.

Synonyms: exploited, swindled