Darknets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of overlay networks that use the internet but require specific software to access them, often associated with anonymity and hidden activities
2. Enabling users to operate and communicate away from the mainstream web, they provide a space for both lawful and illicit activities
3. These networks are commonly used for privacy-focused purposes, facilitating the sharing of information outside typical surveillance and control mechanisms

Etymology: Darknets are networks whose members connect directly with one another, often through special software, so that their traffic stays hidden from ordinary search engines and browsers. The word is a plain compound: "dark" in the sense of hidden or unseen, joined to "net," short for network. Nothing about it is a borrowing or a respelling; it was built in English from two everyday words, which is why its meaning is easy to read off its parts. The plural "darknets" simply names more than one such network. The singular "darknet" follows the same pattern, so the plural tells you nothing new beyond the count.

Synonyms: hidden networks, private networks

Antonyms: surface web