underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of departed souls : hades

2

archaic : earth

3

: the side of the earth opposite to one : antipodes

4

: a social sphere below the level of ordinary life

the town's seedy underworld

especially : the world of organized crime

Synonyms

• demimonde
• demiworld
• half-world
• netherworld
• underbelly

Examples of underworld in a Sentence

a magazine article taking an insightful look at the underworld inhabited by street people

Recent Examples on the Web

As the title indicates, the story centers around Hit-Monkey (Fred Tatasciore), a snow monkey intent on taking out the Tokyo underworld with the help of his mentor, Bryce Fowler (Jason Sudeikis). —Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

That leads them into a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024

These communities say that dogs are the ones who accompany souls on their way to eternal rest, which is reached after traveling through the nine underworlds. —Paula Soria, The Arizona Republic, 29 Oct. 2024

The crime thriller Caught Stealing follows Hank Thompson, a former baseball player who becomes enmeshed in the seedy underworld of 1990s New York. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing underworld

• the underworld

Kids Definition

underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of the souls of the dead

2

: the side of the earth opposite to one

3

: the world of organized crime