the Third World
noun /ðə ˌθɜːd ˈwɜːld/
/ðə ˌθɜːrd ˈwɜːrld/
[singular]- a way of referring to the poor or developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, which is sometimes considered offensive
- the causes of poverty and injustice in the Third World
- Third-World debt
Word Originfirst applied in the 1950s by French commentators who used tiers monde to distinguish the developing countries from the capitalist and Communist blocs.