- old-fashioned the less economically advanced countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America collectively, esp when viewed as underdeveloped and as neutral in the East-West alignmentNow usually called: developing world, Global South
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈThird ˈWorld, n. [uncountable;
usually: the + ~;
sometimes: third world]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026usually: the + ~;
sometimes: third world]
- Governmentthe underdeveloped or developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Third′ World′, (sometimes l.c.)
- Governmentthe underdeveloped nations of the world, esp. those with widespread poverty.
- Governmentthe group of developing nations, esp. of Asia and Africa, that do not align themselves with the policies of either the U.S. or the former Soviet Union.
- Governmentthe minority groups within a nation or predominant culture. Cf. First World, Second World, Fourth World.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Third World n
'Third World' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):