Etymology of "Third World" (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of the phrase Third World? ›

Alfred Sauvy Coined the Term

Alfred Sauvy, a French demographer, anthropologist, and historian, is credited with coining the term Third World during the Cold War. Sauvy observed a group of countries, many of them former colonies, that did not share the ideological views of Western capitalism or Soviet socialism.

Yes, the terms "first world", "second world", and "third world" are used to categorize countries based on their level of development and political alignment during the Cold War.

Initially, the term “third world” meant that a nation is “under-developed”.

Alfred Sauvy, a French scholar, is credited for developing the term "Third World" to describe emerging new entities in international politics, in an article he titled "Trois Mondes, Une Planete" (Three Worlds, One Planet), published in L'Observateur in 1952 (Sauvy, 1952).

Broad consensus exists that the term 'Third World' was first coined by the French demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952 at the height of the Cold War, between the largely Western capitalist and Eastern socialist blocs.

It's what The Associated Press Stylebook suggests using: According to the AP: "Developing nations is more appropriate [than Third World] when referring to economically developing nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Do not confuse with 'nonaligned,' which is a political term" — and mostly a historical term now.

According to AP: "Developing nations is more appropriate [than Third World] when referring to economically developing nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Do not confuse with 'nonaligned,' which is a political term." And mostly a historical term now. So "developing world" seemed to be a good solution.

First world countries included Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. Today, the term has fallen somewhat out of favor, as critics argue it is an outmoded model for understanding national development.

Fourth World was created after the term Third World became the standard for describing places and populations with extremely low income per capita and limited natural resources. Some examples of Fourth World countries include Ethiopia, Haiti, and Uganda.

Historically, the term “third world” was used to define countries that aligned with neither NATO nor the Communists during the Cold War. So, in that sense Mexico is a third world country.

Is Africa a Third World country? ›

The term Third World was originally coined in times of the Cold War to distinguish those nations that are neither aligned with the West (NATO) nor with the East, the Communist bloc. Today the term is often used to describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia/Oceania.

: a sophisticated or worldly woman.

Translation of "bonjour tout le monde" in English. Adverb. hello world. hello everyone. Hi everyone.

Translation of "salut tout le monde" in English. Adverb. Hi everyone. hello everybody.

Historically, the term “third world” was used to define countries that aligned with neither NATO nor the Communists during the Cold War. So, in that sense Mexico is a third world country.

The term Third World was originally coined in times of the Cold War to distinguish those nations that are neither aligned with the West (NATO) nor with the East, the Communist bloc. Today the term is often used to describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia/Oceania.

Today, a Second World country is one that falls in between the poverty of developing nations and the prosperity of developed nations. These countries (Turkey, Thailand, and South Africa for example) are growing economically but aren't quite to the level of developed countries in North America and Europe.

If aggregation to only two groups is necessary, use terms such as “low- and middle-income countries” rather than “developing countries” and the “developing world,” and check to see how countries are classified by income.