developing country

American  

noun

1. a country having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; a country that is not yet highly industrialized.

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developing country British  

noun

1. a nonindustrialized poor country that is seeking to develop its resources by industrialization

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Etymology

Origin of developing country

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The Seattle-based waste service is geared toward people who worry their waste will end up in the landfill, or get exported to a developing country in Asia.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

As the first global AI meeting held in a developing country, the five-day summit has also been a chance for India to boost its position in the booming sector.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

In every developing country in which I have worked, fear lived just under the collective skin of the people.

From Slate • Oct. 29, 2025

Normally it would be a developing country, or perhaps the eurozone in the 2010s and infamously the UK in 2022.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

From that time to the present, the American Episcopate has increased greatly by reason of the growing needs of the Church in this rapidly developing country.

From The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia by Miller, William James