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
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
The country has a sprawling underworld of clandestine artisanal miners.
From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026
I’ve never been a spiritual or religious person, but Ama’s underworld explanation seems about as believable as the other things I’ve witnessed today.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
