Otherworld

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʌðɚˌwɝld/

Definitions

1. A dimension or existence that lies beyond the physical world
2. A supernatural domain that exists outside the material universe
3. An unseen plane where spirits or mystical beings dwell beyond everyday reality

Etymology: "Otherworld" is a compound of two very old English words: "other," from Old English "ōþer," and "world," from Old English "weoruld," meaning human life or the age of mankind. Put together, the phrase originally meant "the other life" or "the life beyond," a sense that set the world of the living against something else entirely. The word has deep roots in Middle English, where forms like "othyr world" and "oþer world" appeared in religious and literary writing to name the realm after death. Over time the compound took on a broader sense: any dimension or existence lying beyond the physical world, not only the afterlife.

Synonyms: afterlife, spiritual realm, beyond