Phrase guide

first world problem

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A complaint or frustration regarded as trivial that is experienced only by inhabitants in wealthy or developed nations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Cadillac problem, FWP

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of first world problem.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From First World + problem. First use appears c. 1979. See cite below.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 第一世界問題 /第一世界问题 (dai6 jat1 sai3 gaai3 man6 tai4) — a complaint or frustration
  • Chinese Cantonese: 第一世界问题 (dai6 jat1 sai3 gaai3 man6 tai4) — a complaint or frustration
  • Chinese Mandarin: 第一世界問題 /第一世界问题 (dìyī shìjiè wèntí) — a complaint or frustration
  • Danish: førsteverdensproblem — a complaint or frustration
  • Dutch: eerste wereldprobleem — a complaint or frustration
  • Finnish: kehittyneen maailman ongelma — a complaint or frustration
  • French: problème de riche — a complaint or frustration
  • Georgian: პირველი სამყაროს პრობლემა (ṗirveli samq̇aros ṗroblema) — a complaint or frustration
  • German: Luxusproblem — a complaint or frustration
  • German: Luxusproblem — a complaint or frustration
  • Norwegian Bokmål: i-landsproblem — a complaint or frustration
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: i-landsproblem — a complaint or frustration
  • Polish: problem pierwszego świata — a complaint or frustration
  • Portuguese: problema do primeiro mundo — a complaint or frustration
  • Russian: пробле́ма пе́рвого ми́ра (probléma pérvovo míra) — a complaint or frustration
  • Spanish: problema del primer mundo — a complaint or frustration
  • Swedish: i-landsproblem — a complaint or frustration