1 first-world problem | Definition of first-world problem

first world problem

noun
variants: or first-world problem or less commonly First World problem or First-World problem

Definition of first world problem

: a usually minor or trivial problem or annoyance experienced by people in relatively affluent or privileged circumstances especially as contrasted with problems of greater social significance facing people in poor and underdeveloped parts of the world In terms of first world problems, the biggest one is probably a cracked phone screen.— Ben Sin

Examples of first world problem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bringing a stuffy nose home from vacation, chipping a fresh manicure, Seamless forgetting your extra ranch dressing, again — first world problems, man. refinery29.com, "The Lip Balm Water Bottle We Never Knew We Needed," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'first world problem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of first world problem

1979, in the meaning defined above

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