second world

noun

variants often Second World

: Communist nations regarded in the latter part of the 20th century as a political and economic bloc

Word History

Etymology

after third world

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of second world was in 1966

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second wind

second world

Second World War

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Second world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20world. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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