Definition of "netherworld" in English

noun

1. The place to which one's spirit descends upon death, conceived as below the surface of the earth.

   • In some religions, one's soul departs to a netherworld, instead of the heavens.

2. The locale of the spirit world or afterlife, whether deemed to be situated below the world of the living or not.

   • While I was astrally projecting, I felt my soul pass through many insubstantial netherworlds.

3. Specifically, a location of punishment in the afterlife; a hell.

   • The missionary was motivated by a sincere desire to rescue souls from eternal torment in the netherworld.

4. (by extension) A hidden, shadowy, or sinister subculture, such as that of organized crime.

   • Richard had been initiated into the netherworld of dog racing by his father, and knew all the popular greyhound performance-enhancing drugs.