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 summit -- attended by tens of thousands including top tech CEOs -- was the fourth annual global meeting to discuss the promises and pitfalls of AI, and the first hosted by a developing country.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

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

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

From Slate • Oct. 29, 2025

When the accord was signed in 2015, China was classified as a developing country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 25, 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