dark web
noun
variants
or less commonly Dark Web
: the set of web pages on the World Wide Web that cannot be indexed by search engines, are not viewable in a standard Web browser, require specific means (such as specialized software or network configuration) in order to access, and use encryption to provide anonymity and privacy for users
The dark web is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous. Once used by political dissidents, the dark web has become the Internet's black market, where visitors can buy anything from guns to drugs and fake IDs or trade child pornography.—
Guillermo Contreras
compare deep web
Guillermo ContrerasExamples of dark web in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Security teams struggle to even gain access to dark web forums, let alone hold any sway over the cybercriminals there.
—Can Yildizli, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
One criminal marketplace, however, has remained as dead as a dodo for the last nine years, with no activity of any sort observed by dark web threat intelligence analysts.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The device allegedly contained a dark web application.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
It’s been a bumper seven days for law enforcement working on cyber and dark web investigations, who have accomplished a slew of takedowns, arrests and seizures across the world.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Last, the Prime plan comes in at $17.99 and adds on dark web monitoring, credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and cyber extortion insurance.
—PC Magazine, 19 May 2025
No shady initiations into dark web criminal forums required—just a message to a lone entrepreneur serving potential criminals with more transparency than many online shops hawking antiaging creams on Instagram.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 7 May 2025
Silk Road, an infamous dark web marketplace that was shut down by law enforcement in 2013, is recognized by many as one of the earliest large-scale applications of cryptocurrency.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Reports of a sophisticated new artificial intelligence platform started surfacing on cybersecurity blogs in April, describing a bespoke system whispered about on dark web hacker forums and created for the sole purpose of crime.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 7 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Can Yildizli, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
One criminal marketplace, however, has remained as dead as a dodo for the last nine years, with no activity of any sort observed by dark web threat intelligence analysts.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The device allegedly contained a dark web application.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2025
It’s been a bumper seven days for law enforcement working on cyber and dark web investigations, who have accomplished a slew of takedowns, arrests and seizures across the world.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Last, the Prime plan comes in at $17.99 and adds on dark web monitoring, credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and cyber extortion insurance.
—PC Magazine, 19 May 2025
No shady initiations into dark web criminal forums required—just a message to a lone entrepreneur serving potential criminals with more transparency than many online shops hawking antiaging creams on Instagram.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 7 May 2025
Silk Road, an infamous dark web marketplace that was shut down by law enforcement in 2013, is recognized by many as one of the earliest large-scale applications of cryptocurrency.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Reports of a sophisticated new artificial intelligence platform started surfacing on cybersecurity blogs in April, describing a bespoke system whispered about on dark web hacker forums and created for the sole purpose of crime.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dark web.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20web. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share