ˌThird ˈWorld, the
the poorer countries of the world that are not industrially developed, including most of Africa and parts of Asia and of Central and South America. Some people think this expression is offensive, and the Third World can also be called the South. ⇒ compare first world
—Third-World adjective:
Third-World economies

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

See main entry: Third World, the

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

third world
n.
1. The countries not aligned with either the former U.S.S.R.-dominated Communist bloc or the U.S.A.-dominated capitalist countries.
New Zealand made a move toward third country status when it disallowed American nuclear submarines in its harbors.
2. The developing nations of the world where the industrial revolution has not yet been completed.
Africa and the rest of the third world must be freed from starvation and illiteracy.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲