where does the expression "third world" come from?

Answer 1

The term "third world" was coined by economist Alfred Sauvy in an article in the French magazine L'Observateur of August 14, 1952. It was a deliberate reference to the "Third Estate" of the French Revolution. Tiers monde means third world in French.

Like the third estate, wrote Sauvy, the third world is nothing, and it "wants to be something." The term therefore implies that the third world is exploited, much as the third estate was exploited, and that, like the third estate its destiny is a revolutionary one.

The term gained widespread popularity during the Cold War when many poorer nations adopted the category to describe themselves as neither being aligned with NATO or the USSR, but instead composing a non-aligned "third world" (in this context, the term "First World" was generally understood to mean the United States and its allies in the Cold War, which would have made the East bloc the "Second World" by default; however, the latter term was seldom actually used).So,Third World is a term originally used to distinguish those nations that neither aligned with the West nor with the East during the Cold War.

Answer 2

By definition this means countries which got there independence from colonial rules and /or started prospering after the SECOND WORLD WAR.
By and large these countries would be in Asia/Africa and south america.

Answer 3

I am sure some egotistical western society idiots thought it up believing that since their countries are rich and powerful through colonialism, they get to call them selves the first world!

Answer 4

Yeah, like there's a first and second? Good question, I'd like to know but can't answer!