underworld

/ˈʌndərwɜːrld/
noun
  1. The world of criminals and organized crime; the part of society involved in illegal activities.
    • Informants provided the police with valuable information about the underworld's operations.
    • The movie tells the story of a young man drawn into the underworld of drug trafficking.
    • The detective spent years infiltrating the city's criminal underworld.
  2. In mythology and religion, the place where spirits of the dead are believed to live; the afterlife realm of the dead.
    • In ancient Greek myths, Hades ruled the underworld where souls went after death.
    • The ancient Egyptians believed the underworld was a place of judgment and rebirth.
    • Many cultures have stories of heroes traveling to the underworld to rescue a loved one.
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