demimonde

[ dem-ee-mond; French duh-mee-mawnd ]

noun

1. (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.
2. a demimondaine.
3. prostitutes or courtesans in general.
4. a group whose activities are ethically or legally questionable:

   a demimonde of investigative journalists writing for the sensationalist tabloids.

5. a group characterized by lack of success or status:

   the literary demimonde.

demimonde

/ ˌdɛmɪˈmɒnd; dəmimɔ̃d /

noun

1. (esp in the 19th century) those women considered to be outside respectable society, esp on account of sexual promiscuity
2. any social group considered to be not wholly respectable

Word History and Origins

Origin of demimonde¹

1850–55; < French, equivalent to demi- demi- + monde world (< Latin mundus )

Word History and Origins

Origin of demimonde¹

C19: from French, literally: half-world

Example Sentences

He is fascinated by the demimonde and charmed by Mafia hit men.

From The Daily Beast

I write a poem a day, paeans to the bohemian demimonde with titles like “three a.m. and ‘trane’ on sax.”

From The Daily Beast

In this spirit, in True Blood, the attempt to mainstream the denizens of a nihilistic demimonde is, at best, a bit of a farce.

From The Daily Beast

He is addicted to his demimonde of Damon Runyon hoods and eccentric celebrities.

From The Daily Beast

I have frequently heard women of the demimonde referred to as dangerous women.

From Project Gutenberg

These we should now rank among the demimonde, but the Greek point of view was different from ours.

From Project Gutenberg

She said in French—she is weak in French—that she had been spending a Sunday afternoon in a gathering of the "demimonde."

From Project Gutenberg

Nana dealt with the vast demimonde of Paris, and while it was his greatest popular success, was in every sense his worst book.

From Project Gutenberg