underworld
UK /ˈʌndəˌwɜːld/ · US /ˈʌndɚˌwɚld/ noun
Forms underworlds
- noun (religion or mythology) The world of the dead, located underneath the world of the living; the afterlife. “In Hindu scriptures, the four-eyed dogs Śārvara and Śyāma guard the underworld's entrance.”
- noun That part of society that is engaged in crime or vice, and particularly those involved in organized crime. “A disproportionate amount of local politicians have connections to the underworld.”
- noun (video games) The portion of a game that is set below ground.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From under- + world.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “underworld”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details