underworld

American  

[uhn-der-wurld] / ˈʌn dərˌwɜrld /

noun

1. the criminal element of human society.

2. the imagined abode of departed souls or spirits; Hades.

3. a region below the surface, as of the earth or a body of water.

4. the opposite side of the earth; the antipodes.

5. Archaic. the earth.

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underworld British  

/ ˈʌndəˌwɜːld /

noun

1. 1. criminals and their associates considered collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      underworld connections

2. the regions below the earth's surface regarded as the abode of the dead; Hades

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Etymology

Origin of underworld

First recorded in 1600–10; under- + world

Example Sentences

In the underworld of social media they are now arguing among themselves.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

The animated movie about a Korean girl group battling invaders from the underworld was a surprise hit last year, becoming the most watched original film on Netflix.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

But there is a serious hurdle: U.S. prosecutors have viewed López Serrano as too valuable a source on the Mexican underworld to ship him back south, according to Mexico’s former Atty.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

Time France's debut edition also includes an interview with US ambassador to France Charles Kushner, a report from Ukraine's Donbas region and an investigation into the art trafficking underworld, according to its table of contents.

From Barron's • Dec. 15, 2025

Like Mamet characters, they populated an America that had never existed, a kid’s idea of sharpies and hucksters and underworld life.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• gangland
• mob
• organized crime
• syndicate