demimonde
Americannoun
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(especially during the last half of the 19th century) a class of women who have lost their standing in respectable society because of indiscreet behavior or sexual promiscuity.
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a demimondaine.
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prostitutes or courtesans in general.
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a group whose activities are ethically or legally questionable.
a demimonde of investigative journalists writing for the sensationalist tabloids.
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a group characterized by lack of success or status.
the literary demimonde.
noun
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(esp in the 19th century) those women considered to be outside respectable society, esp on account of sexual promiscuity
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any social group considered to be not wholly respectable
Etymology
Origin of demimonde
1850–55; < French, equivalent to demi- demi- + monde world (< Latin mundus )
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.
It was all a stimulating change from opera-house productions, which often lean on 18th-century elegance instead of exploring the seamy underside and corruption of the demimonde that is at the heart of the piece.
Mr. Frankel is most convincing when he avoids bold statements, however, and instead immerses himself in the skulduggery of Kansas City politics or the treacherous demimonde of Hollywood.
She befriended the New York downtown demimonde, including Warhol.
From Los Angeles Times
Even in her recent roles on “Pose” and “American Horror Story: NYC” — both set in the 1980s New York demimonde she inhabited — she brought a righteous earthiness, with some joie de vivre.
From New York Times
French bulldogs have a colorful, centuries-long history involving English lacemakers, the Parisian demimonde and Gilded Age American tourists who brought the dogs home.
From Seattle Times
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.
