First World

American

noun

the major industrialized non-Communist nations, including those in Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Etymology

Origin of First World

First recorded in 1970–75

Compare meaning

How does first-world compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

First World vs. Third World

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Jacks may not have been able to pull off the heist without 21-year-old Ahmed, whose six from the second ball he faced brought the chase to life in his first World Cup match.

From BBC

He always imagined his first World Cup as a historic moment shared with his father, his future wife and son.

From Los Angeles Times

Honda officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021, when Max Verstappen took a Red Bull powered by their engine to his first world title.

From BBC

Four years later they were roommates with the Under-19s and now Jacks is keeping Brook's first World Cup campaign as captain afloat.

From BBC

An Olympic medal is the only one missing from Hall's illustrious collection - he guided his team to a first world championship medal since 1939 when they took silver in 2023 after a maiden European title in Altenberg earlier that year.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023