The term “third world” was part of the classification of countries during the Cold War. This classification designated those countries aligned with the United States as “first world,” those countries aligned with the Soviet Union as “second world,” and those countries that were nonaligned as “third world.” Over time, the term “third world” came to mean a poorer or less-developed country. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the acceptance of democracy in Russia and Eastern Europe, the classification no longer exists. The preferred terms are now “developed” countries and “less-developed” (or “developing”) countries.