# third culture kid

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A young person who has lived for a significant period outside their birth (or passport) country due to parental work-related migration.

## Etymology
Coined by American sociologist and anthropologist Ruth Hill Useem in the 1950s. "Third culture" refers to a distinct way of life different from those of the birth or host countries, but common to fellow expats.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/third-culture-kid