noun
underworld
UHN-duh-wurld
noun
1
The organized criminal side of society, especially those involved in serious or large-scale crime.
"The detective had contacts deep in the city's underworld."
2
In mythology, the world of the dead, imagined as existing beneath the world of the living.
"In Greek myth, Hades ruled over the underworld."
How to Use Underworld
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the hidden world of organized crime, or the mythical realm of the dead.
Common pairings
criminal underworld
ruler of the underworld
Word Forms
underworlds plural
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The detective had contacts deep in the city's _____.
Etymology
From under- plus world.