underworld
Americannoun
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the criminal element of human society.
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the imagined abode of departed souls or spirits; Hades.
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a region below the surface, as of the earth or a body of water.
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the opposite side of the earth; the antipodes.
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Archaic. the earth.
noun
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criminals and their associates considered collectively
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( as modifier )
underworld connections
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the regions below the earth's surface regarded as the abode of the dead; Hades
Etymology
Origin of underworld
Vocabulary lists containing underworld
Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Capp notes, "Even in London's seedy underworld, a hat felt essential."
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
Oscar Balmen, a journalist and analyst specializing in crime and security in Mexico, said García Harfuch’s heroic image has even begun to shift underworld culture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Dhurandhar: The Revenge picks up from that cliffhanger, deepening a long-running Indian intelligence operation inside Karachi's criminal and political underworld.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
The country has a sprawling underworld of clandestine artisanal miners.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
Altars can have different levels to represent places like earth, heaven, or the Aztec underworld of Mictlan.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
