underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld How to pronounce underworld (audio)
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.
Host Ari Daniel speaks with Smithsonian contributing writer Tony Perrottet, who wrote recently about Rome’s underworld—the city lurking beneath the city. Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025 Jason—her partner—comes off as more laid-back but equally entrenched in the criminal underworld. Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025 The festival’s centerpiece headliner will be Deep Cover, a new action comedy from Tom Kingsley, that stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed as a group of amateur improv comedians who get sucked into the London criminal underworld. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, a deviant killer operating in the yakuza underworld seems to be shadowing their moves. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 1 May 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 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

underworld

noun
un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld How to pronounce underworld (audio)
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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