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

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
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.
Levon must pose as a drug dealer and infiltrate himself into this Chicago underworld populated by numerous stereotypical Russian Mafia types led by crime lord Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng), and featuring his loose cannon son Dimi (Maximilian Osinski). Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025 The problem’s in the criminal underworld for people who are not recognised as being from a specific community. John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025 Described as a figure reminiscent of Robert De Niro's Jimmy the Gent from Goodfellas, the protagonist navigates a turbulent era, battling rival factions to seize control of the Hawaiian underworld. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025 The film premieres March 15 at the Roxy Cinema in New York, and stars Dario Yazbek Bernal and Jack Irv as two lovers whose whirlwind romance sends them down a rabbit hole of drugs and depravity in Manhattan’s underworld. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for underworld

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underworld was in 1598

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Cite this Entry

“Underworld.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underworld. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

underworld

noun
1
: the place of the souls of the dead
2
: the side of the earth opposite to one
3
: the world of organized crime

More from Merriam-Webster on underworld

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