Demimonde

Demimonde (singular: Demimondaine) is a polite 19th century term that was often used the same way we use the term "mistress" today. In the 19th century, however, it primarily referred to a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers (usually each had several). The term is also used to refer to these women as a group, and the social circles they moved in, which were at the fringes of respectable society. As a group, the demimonde did not form a 'society', per-se, any more than modern prostitutes form a society. However, they did represent a specific class of women in the latter half of the 19th century and into the early 20th century who, though not respectable, were commonplace fixtures in the upper class) of French, English and, to some extent, American society. In the United States and Britain, they were (and still are) also often referred to as Courtesans, though the term Courtesan in the 19th century applied to a profession (like the term prostitute describes a profession), whereas Demimonde/Demimondaine was used to describe a broader social class of persons.

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19th century: :Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical)...

Social circle: Social circle refers to the group of typical social positions related to a given social position, their typical social interactions and social relations. Social circle is an important factor determining what people a person in this circle will met....

20th century: The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar. Common usage sometimes regards it as lasting from 1900 to 1999, but this is often considered incorrect due to the nonexistence of a "Year Zero" before AD 1. The 20th century is also sometimes known as the nineteen hundreds (1900s)...