dark web

noun

variants or less commonly Dark Web

: the set of web pages on the Internet 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 …

—Guillermo Contreras

compare deep web

Examples of dark web in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stolen personal data sells for a few dollars on dark web markets. — Pawan Jain, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

Set in the cutthroat world of San Francisco’s elite, limited series Victoria follows a brilliant con artist who finds herself in a dark web of power, luxury and the crosshairs of a seductive killer who knows her secrets. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026

Before it was taken down, the shadowy dark web service called Nexus allowed virtually anybody to peruse identity documents of over 170 million people in the US and Canada. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026

Other bonuses range from dark web monitoring to an AI assistant for writing messages. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1998, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dark web

• cobweb
• deb
• ebb