omerta
/oʊˈmɛrtə/
noun
- A code of silence or secrecy, especially among organized crime groups, about their illegal activities.
- In some criminal organizations, breaking omerta is punishable by death.
- The witness refused to testify, citing the unwritten rule of omerta.
- The mob boss enforced omerta, threatening anyone who spoke to the police.
- Any strict code of silence or secrecy within a group or community.
- In that small town, an omerta surrounded the family's mysterious past.
- Corporate omerta kept the scandal hidden for years.
- The club had its own omerta, with members never discussing internal disputes with outsiders.