Dictionary

Third World en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (historical) Those countries not aligned with the west or the east during the Cold War.
2. (derogatory, sometimes) Developing countries, especially those of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
   • Our district has many immigrants from Third World countries
   • How about — take a deep breath — eliminating the subsidies to American farmers that keep Third World farmers from being able to make a living selling their products? 2003 May 3, John H. McWhorter, “Hating Whitey Worldwide”, in Manhattan Institute, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2025:
3. (attributive, derogatory, informal) Any developing country, or a country lacking the perceived internationally respected ideal standards of a society (e.g. sufficient rule of law and internationally respected level of prosperity).
   • […] "IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!"[…]"The ruling party is trying to jail the opposition leader like a third world dictatorship! It's happening before your very eyes," Trump Jr. said in a tweet.[…]Meanwhile, Eric Trump condemned the indictment as "third world prosecutorial misconduct […] 2023 March 31, John Haltiwanger, “Trump and his sons say his indictment makes the US like a 'third world' country, but plenty of other democracies have prosecuted ex-leaders”, in Business Insider, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2025:
   • In some instances, the U.S.’s performance is downright abysmal, far below foreign countries that are snidely looked-down-upon as “third world.” 2014 March 5, Sean McElwee, “Six Ways America Is Like a Third-World Country”, in Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 16 Apr 2021:
4. People of marginalized or exploited races, collectively.
   • Although it has been publicized that 1/3 of the musicians are women of color. these women were chosen without consulting the Third World Women's community. 1981 April 11, Maxine Feldman et. al., “East Coast Women's Festival”, in Gay Community News, page 5:

Forms

Antonyms

First World

Deriveds

Third-World · Third-Worldization · Turd World · Third-Worldism · Third-Worldish · thirdie · Third Worlder · Third World briefcase · Third-Worldist

Relateds

Thirdonia · First World · Second World · Fourth World

Synonyms

Global South

Translations (92)

pl Trzeci Świat (developing countries) · ko 제삼세계 (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ro lumea a treia (developing countries) · et kolmas maailm (developing countries) · ko 제3세계 (developing countries) · sh трећи свијет (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ka მესამე სამყარო (developing countries) · sh treći svet (developing countries) · tr üçüncü dünya (developing countries) · th โลกที่สาม (developing countries) · fi kolmas maailma (developing countries) · ur تِیسْری دُنْیا (developing countries) · gl terceiro mundo (developing countries) · sk tretí svet (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ru тре́тий мир (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sk tretí svet (developing countries) · th โลกที่สาม (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · uz uchinchi dunyo (developing countries) · it terzo mondo (developing countries) · sh treći svijet (developing countries) · be трэ́ці свет (developing countries) · nb den tredje verden (developing countries) · hi तृतीय विश्व (developing countries) · sh treći svet (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · bg тре́тият свят (developing countries) · ro lumea a treia (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · et kolmas maailm (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · mk третиот свет (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · fa-ira جَهانِ سِوُّم (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ru тре́тий мир (developing countries) · de Dritte Welt (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sk rozvojová krajina (developing countries) · sv u-land (developing countries) · el ο τρίτος κόσμος (developing countries) · sv tredje världen (developing countries) · es tercer mundo (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sv tredje ståndpunkten (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · cmn 第三世界 (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · uk тре́тій світ (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · fr tiers-monde (developing countries) · de Dritte Welt (developing countries) · pl Trzeci Świat (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · be трэ́ці сьвет (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ko 제삼세계 (developing countries) · ga an tríú domhan (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · uk тре́тій світ (developing countries) · sq bota e tretë (developing countries) · es tercer mundo (developing countries) · ka მესამე სამყარო (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ky үчүнчү дүйнө (developing countries) · cs třetí svět (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · hy երրորդ աշխարհ (developing countries) · ar الْعَالَم الثَّالِث (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · mk третиот свет (developing countries) · sv alliansfri (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · be трэ́ці сьвет (developing countries) · da tredje verden (developing countries) · be трэ́ці свет (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sl tretji svet (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · cs rozvojová země (developing countries) · hu harmadik világ (developing countries) · ar الْعَالَم الثَّالِث (developing countries) · sv neutral (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · fi kolmas maailma (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ja 第三世界 (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sh трећи свијет (developing countries) · sh treći svijet (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sl tretji svet (developing countries) · bg тре́ти свят (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · tg ҷаҳони сеюм (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · de Trikont (developing countries) · pt terceiro mundo (developing countries) · ja 第三世界 (developing countries) · kk үшінші әлем (developing countries) · gl terceiro mundo (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · fr tiers-monde (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · bg тре́ти свят (developing countries) · az üçüncü dünya (developing countries) · sh трећи свет (developing countries) · gd an Treas Domhan (developing countries) · pt terceiro mundo (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · it terzo mondo (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · sh трећи свет (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ga an Tríú Domhan (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · ko 제3세계 (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · cmn 第三世界 (developing countries) · gd an Treas Domhan (countries not aligned with the west or east during the cold war) · cs třetí svět (developing countries) · nl derde wereld (developing countries) · fa-ira جَهانِ سِوُّم (developing countries) · tg ҷаҳони сеюм (developing countries) · bn তৃতীয় বিশ্ব (developing countries)