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
Proton Pass is our Editors' Choice winner for free password management because, in addition to offering top-notch cross-platform password management at no cost, the company also serves up valuable privacy tools like continuous dark web monitoring and email masking.
—Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
These services monitor credit reports, dark web forums and financial activity for signs of misuse.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Read more: • DOJ shuts down dark web child abuse sites that had 120,000 members.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 28 July 2025
Belk is offering a 12-month credit monitoring service, which includes credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, identity restoration and up to $1 million identity theft insurance, according to the letter included with the lawsuits.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2025
Sharma, for his part, sees a dark web of conspiracy.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
In the first month of his second term, Trump also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, a former, a former tech entrepreneur serving a life term in federal prison for creating Silk Road, a dark web internet site that became a major conduit for drug traffickers.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 31 May 2025
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Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
These services monitor credit reports, dark web forums and financial activity for signs of misuse.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Read more: • DOJ shuts down dark web child abuse sites that had 120,000 members.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 28 July 2025
Belk is offering a 12-month credit monitoring service, which includes credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, identity restoration and up to $1 million identity theft insurance, according to the letter included with the lawsuits.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2025
Sharma, for his part, sees a dark web of conspiracy.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
In the first month of his second term, Trump also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, a former, a former tech entrepreneur serving a life term in federal prison for creating Silk Road, a dark web internet site that became a major conduit for drug traffickers.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dark web.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20web. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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