demi-monde

 
Pronunciation: /ˌdɛmɪˈmɒnd, dəmimɔ̃d/

noun

  • (in 19th-century France) a class of women considered to be of doubtful social standing and morality.
  • a group of people on the fringes of respectable society: the demi-monde of arms deals

Origin:

French, literally 'half-world'